Twisting Fate
by mistye-dawne
Summary: After his last act as a hero, All Might is forced into retirement. Unable to fight. Unable to protect anyone. How does one continue to carry certain burdens when they no longer have the strength to do so anymore. Can the man who's always had criticizing opinions about the No. 1 hero show him that it's okay to let someone help him? Starts post chapter 95 of manga.
1. Decisions

Aizawa stalks into his apartment, kicks off his shoes and tosses his jacket onto the back of his couch, hating the stuff feeling of the rarely worn suit. It's nearly three am and he's far more irritated than he thought he would be. As much as he loathed press conferences and the like, it had been a necessary diversion, not only for the Villain Alliance, but also for the public so that a hastily put together team of heroes could advance to the location of their missing student.

He walks into the kitchen tugging at and nearly ripping the his tie, and grabs a beer from his near empty fridge. He cracks it open before heading to the bathroom to heat up the shower.

It had been one thing to stand in front of the cameras and listen to the redundant questions and criticisms of him, but those damn vipers (because that's exactly what he thought of the press) crossed the line when those opinions had been directed at his missing student. He'd almost lost his cool and had it not been for the looming glare of the principal beside him, he just might have. That had only been the beginning of his irritations.

The man removes his clothes, not caring that they'll get wrinkled on the floor and takes another drink. Aizawa hated to drink alone, but it was late and the world was currently in a tear about the events of the evening.

Before he steps into the shower, Aizawa stops in front of the mirror and eyes the scars he's received protecting his kids. He realizes that after this last attack at the camp, he's received none which leaves a bitter taste in his mouth since so many students had been hurt that night.

He scowls at his reflection and steps under the water, hissing and shivering at the sudden change in temperature. Standing there with the water running down his body, he thinks back to what he, and likely the rest of the world, witnessed as All Might fought the supposed leader of the Villain Alliance. He, like the rest of the staff at UA, knew that his health had been declining and he wasn't able to much hero work these days. But now the entire world knew and while he had never agreed with the man's reckless behavior and always had criticising thoughts about him, he couldn't help but wonder what the immediate future held.

The man had exhausted every ounce of strength to defeat that villain and Aizawa knew that at this point, he'd have to publically announce his retirement. Where was that going to leave him? What kind of position was the school going to be put in?

"You're next," he mumbles as he massages shampoo through his tangled hair. "What the hell could he have possibly meant?" Aizawa knows that All Might did many overzealous things, but the man rarely spoke in such a cryptic manner. Those words had been directed at someone specific and he couldn't help but wonder who he'd been speaking to in that moment.

Aizawa tries to push the thought from his head only for it to be replaced by the fear of him losing his position at the school. Leaning his head forward and allowing the water to run through his hair, he sighs in relief knowing that he wasn't going to lose his job. The principle didn't explain why he'd been allowed to keep his job, but he knew that he, like the other teachers and possibly students, were suspect to leaking information to the enemy thus endangering the students' lives.

Right now though, he doesn't care about all that. He's just happy that he gets to remain at the school because not only had he grown used to the lifestyle after years of teaching at UA, he didn't trust anyone to watch over and guide those students of his. He's also the only one who knows how to punish them properly for their actions, because he knows that a group of them took matters into their own hands and broke the rules once again. He doesn't care that it reflects badly on him as their teacher. And though he might be a little impressed that they were able to get out with any injuries, it doesn't change the fact that they stepped out of line once again and put themselves in the middle of the danger.

They're smart kids and after the handful of months that they'd spent at UA and what they've experienced, he expects better from them. He intends to make it known just how lucky they are to be getting away with almost no punishment from him because of All Might's imminent retirement. Of course there hasn't been an official statement yet, but it's obvious as to what's coming. Aizawa plans to use the man's final act as a hero as a reminder to his kids that their actions have consequences.

Aizawa faces the water and lets it beat against his face. He can feel sleep creeping up on him, but he knows that it's not likely he'll actually be able to fall asleep. No matter how tired he always seems to be, he can never simply fall asleep at night. He's been up for roughly forty-eight hours straight and though it's nothing new to him, he's dead tired and needs to rest given what's going to be happening with the school over the next several days.

When the water starts to run cold, he steps out and finishes his beer before throwing on a pair of sweatpants. Alarm set to go off in three hours, Aizawa climbs into bed and closes his eyes, hoping that he's able to get some rest before heading to school for a day of meetings that will be mostly just the principal droning on about changes that he's no doubt made.

* * *

Toshi's eyes slowly crack open, his vision blurry and unable to focus on anything in the darkened room. He blinks in time with the all too familiar beep of the heart monitor before wiggling the damn thing off his finger. His body is beginning to throb; whatever painkillers he'd been given are wearing off. He thinks about calling a nurse for more but decides against it, knowing that once someone comes in he won't be able to rest anymore, and right now he just want to be alone.

The Symbol of Peace is no more and Toshi might as well be called a failure because what use is he if he can't fight? If he can't protect anyone anymore? His mind is swimming with too many questions and he's feeling drowsy despite waking up only minutes ago. There is too much that still needs to be done and he knows that he is in no condition (nor will he be anytime soon, if at all again) to do anything. He closes his eyes for but a moment only to snap them open when memories of the previous night flood his mind.

He doesn't want to see that. He knows the truth but that doesn't make it any easier for him to accept. He's know for years that fight would be his last and while he'd accepted that long ago, seeing young Midoriya there last night made him want to see this evil be done with so that the boy wouldn't have to take on that burden. It was his last act as a hero and he still failed. Shigaraki, his master's grandson, is still out there.

Toshi casts his self-pity aside. Though it is certain that he must retire, that doesn't mean he'll sit idly by and wait for Shigaraki to move. No, Toshi plans to find him and keep his successor from having to deal with _his_ personal issues. As he lays in the dark, Toshi can feel just how weak his body has become. He knows that he should probably be dead but he refuses to give in. Thinking about what's spurring him on, exhaustion envelopes and pulls him into a fitful sleep.

The next time he wakes up is when Recovery Girl stops by. She has very little to say to the man, only warning him that she will be checking in regularly to make sure that he's eating properly and taking his medications. Toshi hates pills almost as much as he hates hospitals, but now that his body is literally hanging by a thread he agrees to start taking the vitamins and supplements that he'll be given in addition to whatever is being prescribed to him. In order to show him that she's serious, he heals him just enough to allow him to leave the hospital that night after he's rested for the day.

By noon, Gran Torino and Tsukauchi arrive, the later bringing him something light that isn't hospital food. Toshi laments that the last flames within him have gone out. That the Symbol of Peace is dead. Still, there is more that he needs to do.

"Shimura's grandson, huh..." Toshi's mentor ponders.

"But that's just what he claimed. There's no definitive proof, is there?" Tsukauchi counters. "Did neither of you have any contact with the previous generation?" he asks next, looking between the men.

Toshi remains silent and looks to his mentor as he explains to the detective that after Shimura's husband passed, she gave her son up to foster care in order to distance the boy from the hero life. She'd instructed both he and Toshi that under no circumstance were either of them to make any form of contact with the boy.

"So by keeping your promise to her, this happens. How awful," the detective says.

"My master parted with her own flesh and blood to ensure a life of peace... I have to find Shigaraki. If I do-"

"Absolutely not." Toshi looks to his mentor after he's been interrupted. "Just what do you plan to do once you find him? His lineage doesn't make him innocent, Toshinori. He's still a criminal at the end of the day."

He's forced to think about his mentor's words, causing his face to become doleful. He doesn't know what he'd do. Being his master's blood, he wants to save him. But that's just him being naive. The man is a criminal through and through, and too many of those close to Toshi have been hurt because of him.

Torino takes the man's silence as a clear indication that he understands there is no saving Shigaraki. He instructs Toshi to remain a teacher at UA and give everything he has to Midoriya, reminding him that he should have already been doing that. Meanwhile, he will assist Tsukauchi in searching for Shigaraki and the Villain Alliance.

Toshi's mentor is right and he feels a bit ashamed, knowing that he should have remained more devoted to the boy's growth rather than protecting him. Midoriya is more than just his successor, he's become Toshi's life line. Since meeting the boy, he's been able to fight and push through each day because of him.

For him, that boy has been a glimmer of hope for the future and now he intends to make sure that the entire world is able to see what he does. After he scolds the boy properly for taking matters into his own hands again. Goodness, does he not realize that that his actions reflect on others? Toshi manages to smile at that thought, thankful for the boy's presence in his life.

* * *

Aizawa can barely stay awake through the morning's meeting, having to be jostled awake more than once by Mic. His friend gives him a questioning look to which Aizawa just shakes his head. Those handful of hours he'd been in bed were spent tossing and turning while he drifted in and out of sleep.

He's still drifting but he's alert enough to hear what's being said by everyone. During the time he and Blood were giving their statements to the police, the other staff members were deciding how best to ensure the students safety from here on out. It had also been made quite obvious that there was a traitor among them. He'd heard that Mic had gotten an earful from some of the staff members for making such an accusation, but had Aizawa been present he would have said very much the same thing.

In order to both protect the students and attempt to expose said traitor, the principal presents them with the idea to convert from a traditional school into a boarding school. Everyone, including the students, are suspect and would be under watch. This would allow the teachers to be able to watch over the students outside of school hours while also being watched themselves. Now the principal doesn't say any of this out loud to the teachers, but they all know that they're under suspicion. Including him.

Just because he'd been supervising the students when they were attacked didn't make him exempt. Though Aizawa can't help but wonder just what all is going through the mammal's mind. One would think that due to what transpired at the USJ several months ago, how he had been close to falling victim to the Villain Alliance, he'd be overlooked, but that's a civilian's way of thinking.

Aizawa wakes up a little more when All Might is mentioned. He and the other staff are informed that the man is indeed retiring and will be making a public announcement the following day. That being said, he will remain a teacher at UA. Aizawa is reminded of something that often crosses his mind: Why exactly did he come to teach at UA in the first place?

It really isn't his business, which is why he's never asked, but that doesn't stop him from wondering. Again, he knew the man to be outrageous and overzealous in how he did things, but he rarely did things just because he could. There was a reason for his coming to UA and a reason for staying even though he was retiring.

After sitting and listening to the principal for hours, Aizawa is ready to go home and finally rest because staying up just isn't possible any longer. Unfortunately for him, the principal asks to speak with him in private. He follows the mammal to his office, eyes drooping the entire time, where Recovery Girl is waiting for the two of them.

"I take it your sleeping troubles have returned," she comments when he just about trips over himself.

Aizawa merely shrugs. "It's not like they've ever gone away."

The woman frowns at his statement and turns her attention to the principal who has since settled himself at his desk.

"Eraserhead, there's something I need you to do," he says directly. Aizawa fixes his eyes on the principal's dour expression then looks over to see Recovery Girl wearing a similar one. "I can't force you to do anything, but it would be greatly appreciated if we could trust a certain favor with you."

That's what he was waiting for. The principal had a way to drag things outs and distract a person from the topic only to rope them into agreeing to something without even realizing it. It was a dirty trick that unfortunately worked all too well on idiots. Aizawa could admit that he'd even been caught in one of his traps before, but for whatever reason he was on high alert at the moment wasn't going to fall prey to the mammal.

"What is it you two need?" he asks, knowing that the nurse wouldn't be present otherwise.

He watches a wry grin appear on the principal's face as he knows he's been caught. "I can see that you're tired so I'll get straight to the point." Aizawa's eyes slip closed and his head droops forward for a second before he catches himself. "As you know, the teachers will of course be housed on campus as well. The building for you all has been designed so that there will be two of you to a floor."

Aizawa already knew all this, but lets him continue on explaining until Recovery Girl clears her throat. "Right," the mammal says, "You will be sharing a floor with All Might." This causes Aizawa to raise an eyebrow at the statement.

"What I'd like to ask from you, young man," the nurse starts. "Is that since you've worked the closest with him since his arrival here, is to keep an eye on him."

"How so exactly?" he questions, not entirely sure what they're expecting of him.

"That man has a habit of not taking care of himself properly, forgetting to eat and such, like someone else I know," she adds causing him to roll his eyes. "I'm not asking you to police him, that's my job during the day. I expect that he'll spend most of his time at home resting since I'll be making sure that he's too exhausted to do anything but for the next several weeks."

Aizawa just sighs, curious as to why he of all people is being asked to do this. Thinking about it, were they to ask him several months prior, he'd have denied them without hesitation. And that was just it, Aizawa had to think about his decision this time. He thought that having the man around and keeping him updated on the students' progress could be used to drive their efforts further. The downside, was that he didn't exactly know what kind of man All Might was outside of teaching, though given that the two of them haven't always gotten along in the past Aizawa doubted that he'd be too annoying.

After another moment he glanced at both individuals. "Alright, I'll help."

"We really do appreciate this, Eraserhead," the principal says and bows his head.

"I'm going home now," Aizawa announces after acknowledging the mammal.

"You won't make it home," Recovery Girls chides. "Go rest in the infirmary," she calls just as the door closes. Aizawa weighs his options, deciding to accept her offer since it's closer than his apartment.

* * *

That same evening, Toshi is standing on the beach waiting for his charge and stares out over the water. The soft ebb and flow of the waves ease his mind a bit as he thinks about how he's able to do this because of Midoriya's efforts. This is where their journey began. He didn't think that he could be more proud of the boy, but when he hears him call his name and Toshi turns to look at him he knows that just isn't true.

"You're finally here," he calls, waving to the boy and forming a fist. When Midoriya gets close enough, Toshi lands a clean his to the boy's cheek, knocking him down only because he didn't see it coming.

"Dammit..." he pulls his hand back and shakes away the pain. He probably shouldn't have done that, but the boy deserved it. "You really have a hard time listening, don't you?" he questions, his face serious. The boy holds his cheek and looks up at him, confusion and worry written all over his face.

Toshi sighs. "I called you because I wanted you to hear it from me first. I'm retiring, my boy. My body is no longer in any condition to fight anymore. The last embers of One For All have gone out."

Midoriya remains silent, not knowing what he can possibly say. That's okay, though. Toshi can see that he understands exactly what all this means.

"Besides all that, you... every time manage to get in the mix of things and break your body no matter how many times that you're told," he scolds, causing the boy to flinch slightly. He can see the tears welling up in his eyes and Toshi has to take a deep breath to control his own emotions. "Which is why when I saw you there last night and witnessed you getting away without getting hurt, I was incredibly happy."

He crouches down and reaches out to the boy, drawing him close. "From here on out, I'm devoting everything I have left to your development, my boy. Despite my condition, we'll do our best together, okay?" Midoriya clutches Toshi's shirt and he holds him tighter. The boy still needs to stop being such a crybaby, but he doesn't say anything in that moment because he's unable to keep his own tears at bay. He just wishes that he knew if they were of joy because the boy was safe or apprehension of the future.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Thanks for reading Ch 1 of Twisting Fate! This is my first EraserMight fic so I really hope you enjoyed it. There's plenty more to come to this piece as well as others that I have planned for this ship. Leave a review if ya can spare one as I'd love to hear what you think!**


	2. Awkward Visits

After what he would describe as the shortest and longest press conference on his life, Toshi is escorted by Tsukauchi out the back doors and to his car to avoid the swarm of media personnel out front. The unshakable All Might, now nothing more than a husk, standing in front of hundreds of people and cameras broadcasting his statement to the world. It made him feel far more exposed than he'd ever experienced before in his life and was something the he didn't want to feel ever again.

The car ride is silent and much longer than it should be as the detective takes a roundabout route to get there, making sure that they aren't being followed. While Toshi is more than ready for the day to be over, he appreciates the few extra minutes as he uses the time to calm his thoughts and prepare for what he must do next.

Now that the condition of his health is no longer a secret, some of the weight he'd been carrying for years has been lifted from his shoulders. Normally, he'd assume that to be a good thing, but that weight just doesn't disappear. It falls to someone else and becomes their responsibility. In this case, that burden now rests with the individuals who decide which aspiring heroes receive a license and are permitted to work as such. Without him, there is sure to be a rise in villain activity and it is up to those officials to decide how best to combat that.

Toshi stares out at the main building of the school as the car approaches its destination. Given his condition, it's doubtful that he'll be able to teach entire classes now, but that doesn't mean he won't be able to do his part in guiding the students to becoming heroes. Yes, his main concern is to Midorya's development as he still believes the boy will become an even greater hero than he ever was, but there are many others who will no doubt become excellent heroes in the future as well.

It is at UA where these aspiring heroes will grow together and forge more than just friendships. Thus he must do everything he can to ensure that they are able to continue their educations there.

Standing in the principal's office with Blood and Aizawa, Toshi listens to his long-winded thank you followed by the warning of dissenting opinions. He knew that there would be objections to his staying at UA, but it was ultimately up to the principal to give the final say so. Of course, Toshi knew that he'd be allowed to stay regardless of what the public said because the mammal sometimes did things out of spite as humans were very easily annoyed by it. He was also one of few that were aware of his secret.

Aizawa watches the newly retired hero hang his head as they listen to the principal tell them that since he's decided to allow All Might to stay with the school, they must take extra measures to make certain that faith and confidence are restored in the heroes. The man tunes out the mammal, having already heard about his new plan for the school.

It was odd to see such an absent look on All Might's face. He was unreadable and Aizawa wasn't quite sure what to make of it. All Might had to know that each incident and run in with the Villain Alliance could be traced back to his coming to UA in the first place, but the blame couldn't be placed solely on him. Heroes in general had grown complacent under the 'Symbol of Peace', including them. As teachers first and heroes second, they needed to set the bar even higher for the students so that the future generation would not make the same mistake that they had.

The first step in doing that, according to the principal's plan, were home visits to obtain support from the students' parents so that they could transfer to living on campus.

When told that he will accompany Eraserhead and visit class 1-A, Toshi looks at the man beside him and meets his seemingly neutral gaze. The last thing he wishes to be is a burden, or inconvenience, and where Aizawa is concerned, Toshi feels he is just that given what the man has been put through because of his presence. Whether or not he actually feels that way about Toshi is unknown because he's never been able to read him.

The first home the two visit is Jirou Kyouka, whichs goes over far better than Aizawa had expected. Though her father had immediately denied them, Aizawa humbled himself, nearly begging for a second chance to be trusted. Toshi notes that for those that didn't know the eternally exhausted man, such an action would be seen as odd, but in these several months that he'd been working alongside him he knew that Aizawa firmly believed that the best place for the kids was at UA.

Even if meant begging, he could see that the dark-haired man would do whatever he needed to so that his kids could return to the school.

"I came into this prepared for a lot more criticism and doubt," he muses more to himself than the man sitting next to him in the car. Though he gave the students a hard time and maintained a certain aloofness in public, he truly believed that having the students on campus full-time was not only the safest thing for them but also the best place to nurture their potential.

"I think we will owe the ease of these visits to the students," Toshi responds. It's likely the students aren't putting any blame with the teachers and don't share the doubts that their parents do. "The students have witnessed you not only protecting them, but leading them and they trust you, Aizawa."

Aizawa takes a moment to think about All Might's complement. He certainly didn't feel as though he deserved their trust, not when they'd been injured under his watch. He brushes the thought aside and tries to appreciate the kind words that had been directed at him instead of looking for the fault within.

Aizawa raises a hand to rub his neck. "At any rate, let me treat you to a drink after this," he offers without really thinking.

It's barely there, but Toshi catches that neutral expression of his soften just a bit. "This definitely isn't the Aizawa I know. I appreciate the offer, but I don't drink actually," he replies sheepishly and reaches up with his hand to pull at his bangs.

An awkward silence falls between them as one worries that the next visit won't go over as smoothly as the first and the other wonders what the hell just happened between the two of them.

* * *

Both teachers quickly learn exactly where Bakugou gets his explosive attitude as they witness the boy's mother smack him across the head after mentioning the proposal.

"He's all yours," she tells them rather nonchalantly.

They watch the boy direct his anger and yelling at her to which she responds in kind. Bakugou's father is mortified and attempts to calm the boy and his mother down while apologizing to the teachers.

This is certainly a dysfunctional family if he's ever seen one Toshi thinks. The two men sit awkwardly, Toshi having a sip of tea, while they wait for the boy's level-headed but soft spoken father talk the two of them down.

"About my proposal," Aizawa starts once they've quieted down, "are you truly willing to comply?" She's already said yes, but he feels the need to be completely certain with this particular student.

"The whole living on campus idea, of course," she answers with a wave of her hand. Her face softens a bit and Aizawa waits for her to continue, thinking that she looks like she has more to say. "You see, our son has always acted rashly without giving anything a second thought. To top of it all off, he's been blessed with powerful abilities. Because of all that, he has been spoiled and showered by shallow words of praise and he's ended up a hothead," she says while looking down at the boy.

Then she looks up into Aizawa's eyes. "When you spoke about Katsuki the way you did the other night Aizawa-Sensei, I was incredibly to happy to see that someone out there is able to see who he really is."

Aizawa looks to the boy who's scowling at his mother. He meant what he said about Bakugou the other night, but hearing that the boy's mother appreciated what he said and was trusting her son to him because of that actually made him happy and eased away some of the doubt that he'd filled his head with, though no one would suspect a thing given his indifferent expression.

Toshi sits silently the whole time, listening to the words of gratitude that Aizawa receives from the boy's mother. He really had been worried about this home visit but learning about what Aizawa had said about young Bakugou, he's no longer concerned. It's rare that the man openly praises the efforts of another and when the family of three bow their heads to the teachers, Toshi nudges the other man with his casted arm. Aizawa chances a look at the blonde.

"How about I treat you to drinks," he whispers with dull smile. He knows that it's meant to be brighter but looking at him now, he realizes just how tired the man appears. His cheeks are more hollow and his eyes sad even though he's smiling. Was this why the old nurse had asked him to watch over All Might?

Aizawa turns his attention back to the family and considers accepting All Might's offer. If the rest of the families they're to visit are anything like the first two, he's definitely going to need something once they're done.

The boy's mother walks them to the door where she thanks them one final time and let's them walk back to the car so they can continue.

"Midoriya is next on the list. Seems his place is pretty close," Aizawa says while scrolling through his phone.

Toshi halts, causing Aizawa to do the same as he looks back at him with questioning eyes. "About that co-"

"All Might!" they hear Bakugou shout as he walks up to them. Aizawa nods for him to see what the boys wants and climbs into the car, unable to help overhearing their conversation.

"What is Deku to you?" Aizawa raises an eyebrow at the direct question and listens for All Might's response. He notices how Bakugou is holding himself, face set and eyes fixed on the man.

He's wondered very much the same thing since day one, seeing that the new teacher was terrible at hiding his his interest in the boy. He was worried that Midoriya's growth would be inhibited, but so far whatever relationship the two of them had only spurred the boy on. As far as his quirk is concerned... Well, that's still a mystery to Aizawa and he's behind his classmates on that point. He's catching up though and is even ahead of his class in other areas.

As long as he's growing, Aizawa didn't care to ask All Might about it. Now that someone else was curious about the two of them, he could confirm that Midoriya was more than just a student to All Might, though he'd never say that to Bakugou, or anyone for that matter.

Toshi's expression becomes grim at the boy's question. Of all the burdens he's held, this was one that needed to remain between him and Midoriya. "He's a student. Just like you, I see an aspiring hero with great potential."

Bakugou's shoulders slump as he turns around and walks back inside. "If you won't tell me, that's fine. But.. thank you." Toshi hates that he must lie to the boy but this one secret he must never allow more than those necessary to know it.

Aizawa would like to believe All Might's words but reading the sullen look on his face shows him that he doesn't even believe them. He waits for the man to climb in and for the car to move before asking him about what he'd wanted to say about Midoriya's visit.

"Ah, would it possible if you let me handle this one alone?" Aizawa rolls his eyes which doesn't go unnoticed by the other man. Really, could he make it any more obvious that he was playing favorites with th boy?

"Will you be able handle it on your own?" he inquires, doubtful to do this one favor for the man.

For the sake of keeping One for All a secret, Toshi has to do this visit alone. This was something that the principal knew he wanted to keep under wraps and it made him wonder exactly why _he_ had been chosen to accompany Aizawa in the home visits for class A. It wasn't that he didn't trust the other hero, but there wasn't a reason for him to know.

"This one I have to," he says, staring down at his clenched fist. Aizawa follows All Might's gaze and wonders just what's going through his head.

"Fine, but you owe me that drink when we're done," he sighs as he fishes for his eyedrops. "I also I expect you to join in visiting the remaining homes that I don't get to," he adds, blinking a couple times then narrowing his eyes at him.

"Of course!" he agrees immediately waving his hand in surrender. "I'll text you as soon as I'm done and you can tell me where to meet you."

Minutes later they arrive at where Midoriya lives and before the car pulls away, Aizawa asks once more if he'll be able to handle things on his own. Toshi assures him that he'll be fine and shoos him off.

Aizawa cranes his neck to look in the rearview mirror and watches All Might's figure disappear in the distance. When he's no longer able to see him, he relaxes and closes his eyes so he can mull over the thoughts that had been running wild since the first visit.

Since the attack at the camp, Aizawa had let his irrational side slip to the forefront of his mind causing him to doubt and become uncertain of himself. He'd somehow convinced himself that he'd lose his teaching position when he knew logically, it made more sense to keep him at UA since they already knew that information was being leaked from inside. When he sat down and thought about it all, he knew that he had no reason to worry.

He hadn't lied to All Might when he'd said that he'd been prepared for worse from the parents, especially from the Jirou household. He also didn't have the best track record when it came to dealing with angry parents given that the year prior he'd expelled an entire class of first year students. Aizawa also believed that the student's parents would hold different values and wouldn't want them to return to UA.

Though they'd only visited two families thus far, Aizawa knew that he'd made an error in his judgement and needed to clear his head before the new term. He had always prided himself in holding his students to a higher standard, so he shouldn't have been surprised that they would have spoken to their parents ahead of his arrival and plead their own cases for wanting to remain at UA.

Though his mind was still muddled, it had allowed him to look at other things and people a bit differently, such as All Might. Now that the 'Symbol of Peace' was gone, it put All Might's way of doing things into perspective a little. Except coddling the press; that was something he'd never understand.

But that bright and overzealous personality of his had meant something to the public eye. It eased their minds and consequently had done the same thing to heroes. He thought about the smile that had appeared on his face while at Bakugou's home. It wasn't the radiant smile that he normally showed the world. It was tired, sad, and maybe even a tiny bit relieved because if he was honest with himself, he knew that All Might had carried an enormous burden without help for a long time.

So Aizawa really couldn't blame the man for not being the clueless oaf he normally was. He wasn't exactly sure if he'd be able to show any semblance of strength if he were in the man's position.

When the car stops, Aizawa is jostled from his thoughts. He climbs out of the car and steels himself to appear before the next few families alone. At least he hopes it'll only be a few. If not, then he'll be needing more than one drink tonight.

* * *

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	3. Faith Restored

Toshi watches the car disappear from sight before turning and staring up at the highrise. It reminded him of when he was about Midoriya's age; both of his parents worked abroad and he had no other family to speak of so he lived alone. No dreams or aspirations to speak of since he was quirkless. He'd just been trying to get by the best that he could until he met Nana.

He shakes his head to keep her face from appearing in his mind because he knows that he'll just end up seeing Shigaraki instead. He sends a quick text to Midoriya and then approaches the elevator. The students and their families had already been informed that the teachers would be conducting home visits but he wanted to let the boy know that Aizawa wasn't going to be joining them.

The boy's mother is every bit as timid as Toshi imagined her to be. Where else would Midoriya get it from? The apartment is small, just big enough for the family of two, and he can't help but to relax a little as he's already exhausted of the formal appearances. A serene smile graces the man's face when they walk past Midoriya's room, eyeing the name tag hanging from the door.

He's offered a seat at the table and a moment later is given some tea that he doesn't end up touching. When his mother sits across from him he get's straight to the point. Her face is cheerless as she informs him that she doesn't support the decision. Midoriya looks genuinely surprised but Toshi isn't surprised in the slightest.

He figured that for all Midoriya's fighting and trying his hardest that the boy would have become oblivious to his surroundings outside of school. It was one thing that he constantly disregarded his body and caused so much damage to himself. It was an entirely different matter to disregard the feelings of those who supported you the most, even if it was unintentional. Toshi hoped to help correct that way of thinking.

Toshi listens to her confide her worries and doubts to him, thankful that Aizawa had not pushed the matter to join him for this visit.

Though she might have told her son that she'd allow him to relocate, it's quite obvious that she really has thought about why she doesn't want him to leave. His life would have been so much simpler had Toshi not taken it upon himself to pass One For All to him. Just like the attacks on the school, it all leads back to him. Her worries and fears are his doing. Even still, he doesn't regret choosing Midoriya.

She asks him if he's aware of the state her son's arms are in. Toshi knew that he'd injured himself severely, but he'd not been aware that if he caused any more stress on them that he'd lose the ability to even move them. Even if he didn't have to convince the boy's mother, it's clear to Toshi, that he's failed Midoriya on more fronts than one.

As a citizen, she thanks Toshi for all that he has done. However, as a parent she fears for her son's well being. After witnessing his fight, she doesn't wish to see her son follow that same bloody path that he did. It makes her wonder if maybe he'd be happier if he'd remained quirkless.

Toshi understands her worries, but knows that Midoriya doesn't regret any of the choices he's made. No, they've not been the best ones and for not showing him that sooner, Toshi accepts full responsibility. But to ask if he'd be happier had he remained quirkless made him want to scoff at her laugh. For more than a year he's watched this boy grow and at this point can't imagine anyone better suited to take up the mantle that he's left vacant.

Midoriya surprises them both when he tries to argue his case and the woman asks him to remember what she'd said when the term began; that she'd always be on his side and support him. But that didn't mean she wouldn't worry about him. As the tears well up in the woman's eyes and she looks back at Toshi, he sees the boy finally realize what he hasn't been paying any attention to.

She looks into Toshi's eyes and tells him as clearly and as firmly as she can, that she has zero confidence in the school and cannot trust her son to them. He doesn't blame her for her decision and is quite impressed that she's able to stand so firmly against his proposal. When she's done speaking, that timidness returns. She pulls her hands into her lap and hangs her head.

"If I may-" he begins only to be interrupted.

"Mom you've it all wrong!" Midoriya raises his voice, causing her to squeeze her eyes closed. "My injuries are my fault. I've been told by all my teachers multiple times-"

"And that just further shows me that the school cannot be trusted to be responsible for you, Izuku," she counters sternly.

Toshi turns his gaze to Midoriya and gives him a hard look. "Sit down, boy," he says calmly, waving his hand down.

"I'm okay if you think I'm being overprotective," she admits, drawing the hero's attention. "I don't mean to keep my son from his dream... But if he really wants to become a hero, it's not as though UA is the only place where he can become one."

Toshi sees that Midoriya's eyes are full of fear. He's trying to keep himself from panicking, because what else can the boy do? His mother is adamant about her decision.

Silence falls over the room as Toshi thinks about what he can possibly say to sway her, though nothing comes to mind. He thought maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to do something to help the boy but he's rapidly losing hope. Without warning, Midoriya rushes from the room and Toshi hangs his head, thinking about just how hard this must be for him.

"I'm so sorry, I'll call him back," his mother hastily says as she stands up from her seat.

She barely takes a step before the boy returns, holding something in his hand. "It doesn't have to be UA, mom. But look at this," he says while showing it to his mother. "I saved a boy when the camp was attacked. This is the letter he sent me, saying thank you." He pauses and takes a breath. "Mom, it's my fault that I've made you worry so much and I'm so sorry. But that boy made me his hero, so if it I can't be at UA, fine. But I will become a hero."

Toshi holds his breath as he sees that, once again, there wasn't any reason for him to worry about Midoriya. Just when all seems lost, that boy is able to solve his own problem and that glimmer of light within him grows brighter. He's no longer just some individual chasing after his favorite hero. He intends to reach his long-term goal, even if he has to give up a seemingly childish dream.

With what strength he can muster, Toshi stands from his seat and approaches the mother and son. He strains to maintain his hero form and falls to his knees, bowing before the woman.

"It's my fault that my responsibilities were not prioritized properly and for that, I am truly sorry." He hears the woman let out a small gasp. "I believe that Izuku is worthy of being a successor to my legacy. There is strength and passion in him that I've not seen in a long time and I believe that he will be the next Symbol of Peace."

"What? Wha-what do you mean?" the woman stutters.

Toshi disregards her question and continues. He apologizes for taking advantage of Midoriya's admiration of him, thus neglecting his education. He lets out a shaky breath when he can no longer hold his hero form but remains on the floor. He appeals to her, as a teacher of UA, that he will not allow her son to walk the same path he has.

He genuinely wants to stand with the boy, not just to help him fulfill his dream and become the next Symbol of Peace, but also because in the time that Toshi has been able to spend with him and watch him grow, he's come to care about Midoriya and is proud of how far he's already come.

He understands that there are many uncertainties and insecurities around the school, but he informs with her that the heroes of UA are doing absolutely everything they can to change all of that then pleads with her that instead of looking at the current state of things, look at how they will be different in the future. Even if it's costs Toshi his life, he will protect and ensure her son's success.

He hears the woman sink to her knees, and waits for her to speak. He's practically laid himself bare before her and freezes when she takes a breath to speak.

"I can't... accept that," she sighs. His heart drops to his stomach. "Because you are what pushes Izuku forward."

Toshi's eyes grow wide and he lifts his head to look at the woman. Her eyes, they're just like Nana's. "I don't hate UA," she says softly. "I just want Izuku to be happy. Which is why you have to go on living while protecting and nurturing him to your fullest extent. If you can promise me that, then I won't stand in your way."

Toshi bows his head once more, fighting the sting of tears. "I promise," he whispers. It's done, so now he must make good on it and keep his word.

As Midoriya and Toshi walk downstairs to wait for a cab, Toshi pulls out his phone to see a handful of messages from Aizawa. In the time it took him to visit with Midoriya, the other teacher had already been to five homes. He quickly sends an apology to the teacher and asks where he should meet him. Toshi pockets the device and looks back up at the highrise to see the boy's mother standing outside.

"Your mother," he starts. "She reminds me of my master." He smiles softly at the thought, relieved that

"Huh? My mom?"

"Yeah. She's a strong woman." Toshi feels his phone vibrate and opens Aizawa's message: _'Ashido's family is next. Wait for me if I'm not there.'_ He bids Midoriya goodbye then gets into the cab, directing the driver to address that Aizawa sent as well.

* * *

Aizawa hits the button on his phone and returns it to his pocket, turning back to the father of Uraraka Ochaco.

"I apologize for the interruption. I know that the two of you are pressed for time," he says, bowing his head slightly.

"That's alright, Sensei," the girl's father says with a wave of his hand. "Our daughter's future is far more important to us." Aizawa follows the man's eyes to the kitchen as the girl and her mother return, offering him some tea.

"I take it that your daughter has already spoken to you about the relocation, then?" the teacher inquires.

"She has,"her father answers with a nod. "Listen, I don't really get the whole hero business, but it's something that our girl wants so we support her," he pauses to look at the brunette. "I do get that it's dangerous work, but can you look me in the eye and tell me that you and the other teachers are doing everything possible to ensure the students' safety on campus."

Aizawa doesn't hesitate to meet the man's stern gaze. "The students aren't the only ones relocating to the campus. All UA staff will be required to live on campus as well with a few of us on call each weekend in case of emergencies. That being said, on days off I doubt any of the teachers will be away from the campus for elongated periods of time."

The family sitting across from him are silent for a moment and in that silence, Aizawa notices that Uraraka hasn't said a word yet. To him nor her parents. He realizes that he might have said too much and opens him mouth only to close it when her father speaks again.

"And you believe that this is the best choice for the school to make?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here before you, asking you to trust me with your daughter's future. For the students' safety and quality of education, I believe that this is the most logical course of action."

"Our daughter spoke highly of you, Aizawa-sensei," her mother says. "She trusts you and the other teachers for that matter. She believes that you all are doing you best and we trust in her judgment. Please, watch over our daughter and the rest of the students as well."

Aizawa bows his head to the family. "I will. Thank you for trusting in us." He's said that phrase too many time to count now but each time he's sincere about it.

Since starting their journeys at UA the students have been through much more than he had when he was their age. They've matured some which is evident because with each visit, he's received some sort of praise from the students through their parents. He's never cared much for being praised but it did mean a lot to him that the students were able to accept that even heroes made mistakes and were willing to give them another chance.

After thanking the family once more, Uraraka escorts the teacher to the door and before Aizawa steps through across the threshold he looks back at her. "What is you want to ask, Uraraka?"

Her brown eyes snap up to his as he waits for to speak. "Do you think the entire class will return to school?"

Aizawa offers her a rare smile. "You shouldn't concern yourself with the futures of others, but if I had to guess I'd say that it's likely all twenty of you will be seeing each other in a few days."

He reaches for his phone and messages All Might, telling him that he's on his way to Ashido's home.

* * *

After meeting All Might, Aizawa is given a chance to rest as the man takes it upon himself to do a bit of talking for the next several visits. Aizawa is grateful for the chance to rest his voice but was honestly a little surprised to see that All Might's smile was much brighter than it had been earlier.

Just what had been discussed at Midoriya's home? He expected that he'd get through two, maybe three, visits before blonde caught up to him. But in the time All Might had been at the boy's home, he'd visited five homes. He'd decided that after visiting with Uraraka, he was going to wait regardless of how long it took the man. Though he was glad that he didn't end up having to wait and waste time.

By the time they finish visiting all twenty homes and return to the school so that Aizawa can drop off the paperwork, the sun had set. As he locks up his desk, he tells All Might that he really doesn't have to get him a drink. Toshi insists, reminding him that he'd left Aizawa to visit several homes alone while he was with Midoriya. Remembering the favor he'd done for him, Aizawa accepts the offer and leads him to a small steakhouse not far from the school.

The place is pretty empty as the pair finds a corner table to sit at. The restaurant is plainly decorated, the walls painted a muted mint green that was easy on the eyes and had a rather soothing effect. The tables and chairs a dark cherry wood color. Aizawa waves to the woman behind the bar who seems to recognize him. A moment later she comes to the table, placing a beer in front of Aizawa and a water in front of Toshi. Aizawa never orders anything but she leaves a menu on the table just in case his companion wants something as she knows they could end up staying a while if he has more than one drink.

"You really didn't have to come," Aizawa says to him again.

Toshi watches the man run a hand through his tangled hair that he'd let down almost immediately after their last home visit. Aizawa picks up his mug and takes a drink.

"I already said that I'd treat you." Toshi reaches for the menu. "Besides I should probably eat a little something before I sleep tonight."

Aizawa nods and hums in response, thinking that they had been busy for most of the day and hadn't stopped to eat anything. He'd forego telling Recovery Girl about it this time because eating had completely slipped his mind too.

Aizawa asks him about the visit with Midoriya went, guessing that he must have had some trouble since he'd been there for so long. He learns that at first, her decision to not allow her son to continue attending at UA had been resolute. Aizawa didn't blame the woman or her reasoning though he was a tad annoyed that she still found the fault with the teachers that her son was always overdoing things.

"You know," Aizawa begins after finishing the first beer, "he's like you."

Toshi pauses in reaching for the food that had just been placed in front of him and looks up. "What do you mean?" he asks trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Aizawa watches him nibble on a fry, then awkwardly try and cut his burger into smaller, more manageable pieces. Aizawa rolls his eyes and plucks the knife from his hand. "He's too self-reliant," he answers as he cuts the sandwich into quarters. "It's good to be able to stand on your own, but the way he goes about proving that he can do just that is more than a little irritating."

Toshi waits for the teacher to finish his sentence and cut his food before he mumbles a word of thanks. Aizawa nods at the lone waitress as she sets another drink in front of him, then take a generous gulp. "Those kids are lucky," he says, placing the mug back on the table.

Chewing on a small bit from his burger, Toshi notices that aside ever present look of drowsiness in Aizawa's eyes the man looks disappointed. "They are indeed. I doubt there are so many parents such as theirs that would be willing to allow their children to return to a school that's been under fire more than once since April," he adds after swallowing his food.

He pushes the plate away offering it to the man across from him. Aizawa narrows his eyes at All Might and is met with that lackluster smile he'd seen at Bakugou's home earlier in the day.

"I wasn't meaning that, but you are right," he agrees and grabs for a fry. It's probably a good idea for him to eat something with the alcohol.

"Oh?" Toshi asks. "What were you referring to then?" he tilts his head.

"Your retirement, All Might."

Toshi, wide-eyed and confused, look at Aizawa who's straight-faced. Not knowing what to possibly say in response, he looks down at the table. Surely there's more that he has to say. Aizawa always has a reason for saying what he does.

Aizawa takes another drink. "Almost the entire fight was broadcast. There are countless videos as well." He pauses, waiting to see some kind of reaction from the blonde. "I know that a group of students were present that night."

Toshi recalls the sight of Midoriya, Iida, and Kirishima as they opened they way for Bakugou to escape. He'd already scolded Midoriya for his recklessness but the others had received no such thing. Just what was Aizawa planning to do?

As through reading his mind Aizawa answers the unasked question. "I would have expelled them. The five of them and the other twelve students who were aware of what they were thinking."

Toshi can only sigh. It seems like a harsh punishment, but it would be a fitting one. "You would have every reason to do so. The rules for acting as a hero exist for a reason. So what are you going to do instead?" He reaches for his water as Aizawa does the same to his drink, finishing it and waving for a third.

He pushes his hair from his face and let's out a frustrated sigh. "There shouldn't even be another option for punishment but..."

Aizawa sucks in a breath, unable to keep himself from admiring those striking blue eyes as All Might rests his arm on the table and leans into the conversation. "But what?" he prompts with a whisper.

Aizawa glances around to see that the other handful of patrons had started to look in their direction. "I hate to see potential such as theirs go to waste," he mutters just loud enough for his companion to hear him. "Because of that, this is the _only_ chance they're getting from me. I'll let your retirement be a reminder to them that their actions have consequences, even if they aren't the one's to pay the price."

Toshi smiles sadly as Aizawa picks up another fry and takes tiny bites from it. He knew that retirement was imminent and inevitable when he returned here to find a successor that he could entrust One For All to. To think that his stamina had lasted even this long amazed him. But in the eyes of the world, and apparently his co-workers, the retirement was going to take a minute for them to wrap their heads around.

"Dammit.." Toshi returns his attention to the man across from him and sees that his arms are folded on the table and his head is buried between them. "...Mic's fault...alk a lo..." he mumbles but Toshi can't make out any of what he says.

"You're mumbling Aizawa," he teases, amused by this unfamiliar side of the stoic teacher.

Aizawa huffs in response and lifts his head. "I said that it's Mic's fault I talk a lot when I drink. It's always been his way of getting me to talk. Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, though we should both probably get home and rest," he suggests.

Aizawa hums in agreement, thinking that he's had just enough to drink so that he'll pass out when he gets home. The principal also informed them that movers would be stopping by tomorrow to help the teachers relocate to campus ahead of the students, so he had all that to take care of as well. He reaches for his wallet only to see that All Might had flagged down their waitress and given her his card.

"You really didn't have to do that," he says and hangs his head so that his hair covers his face that's flushed from the drink and embarrassment.

"Think of it as my way of saying thank you, Aizawa. After all, I'm sure Recovery Girl must have put you up to something for you do agree to us sharing a flat on campus."

Aizawa merely shrugs. "Just to check up on you and make sure that you're eating a little something here and there. If you ask me, I think she intends on tailing you once classes resume just to make sure," he chuckles.

Toshi thanks the waitress when she returns his card then sets a takeout box and bag on the table. Aizawa helps him put the leftover food inside then loosely ties the bag closed and hands it to him. Outside the restaurant, they bid each other goodnight and head in opposite directions one final time before they move into their new home.

* * *

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	4. Moving Day

The following day, after the home visits and then what became an impromptu dinner with Aizawa, Toshi has to force himself to get up, grimacing as he sits up in bed. Not only had be practically forgone eating the previous day, he'd been too tired to wrestle with his medications when he got home that he just didn't take them. If Recovery Girl wasn't trying to make sure that he stayed alive, she'd kill him for sure.

"Shit," he curses under his breath as he tries to roll the shoulder of his casted arm.

He'd been exhausted all day yesterday, but fine otherwise until just before Aizawa and he had left the restaurant. The man had offered to call a taxi for him or even make sure that he got home personally, but Toshi had just waved him off, assuring him that he'd be just fine on the train. What he hadn't considered was people recognizing him since he'd gone public with his condition. Fortunately, the train had been pretty empty and if anyone did recognize him, they didn't say anything to him.

Toshi sighs and stands up, walking to the bathroom to heat up a shower. While the water warms, he goes to the kitchen then wraps a plastic bag over his cast and awkwardly seals the open end with masking tape. Showering has proved to be a chore but it's not impossible. He just wishes that he could relax under the water.

Rinsing the shampoo from his hair then working in some conditioner, he thinks of everything that he needs to do today. He'll eat the leftovers from the restaurant and take his medications after his shower. Then he needs to do some laundry so he's not packing and moving with a bunch of dirty clothes.

The bottle of bodywash slips from his hand as he's trying to squeeze the fresh scented liquid onto the loofah and he lets another curse slip past his lips. He hates that it's difficult for him to do something as simple as showering. He carefully bends downs to retrieve the bottle, the water now running into his eyes. He clamps them shut and remains hunched over for a second, disgusted by the thought of how he must look. Frail and gangly. This time he leaves the loofah hanging, rather than awkwardly trying to hold it, as he squeezes the soap out.

He resumes going through his mental to-do list and is thankful that he doesn't own much. With as much funding as UA receives, it's a simple thing for the new buildings to be built and furnished in a few days time. In fact, the building specifically for the teachers had already been completed a couple days prior, as the project had been underway for at least a week now.

Toshi and the other teachers would be moving into the building throughout today so that they had a chance to settle in and rest before the students arrival. Though he doubted that would be an easy task for any of them, as a similar thought was likely running through each of their heads: somewhere, there was a traitor.

He pushes the idea from his mind (it's not for him to deal with right now) and shuts off the water. He pulls back the curtain and reaches for a clean towel, throwing it over his head to run through his hair first. Once his body is dry, Toshi removes the tape and bag then dresses in a pair of baggy cargo pants and an oversized t-shirt. Now that he can no longer maintain his hero form, there really is no need for him to continue wearing clothes that are too big and decides that he should go shopping for ones that actually fit him.

Dressed for the day with his laundry set by the front door, Toshi warms up last night's food and nibbles on what he can before tossing the rest. Before he treks to the basement to wash his clothes, he spends roughly ten minutes fiddling with his two prescriptions, one for the pain and the other an antibiotic, and the three different vitamin supplements that Recovery Girl had given him for the time being.

After the clothes are washed and dried, he returns upstairs to fold and pack away the articles. Well, tries to at least. Toshi ends up rolling his t-shirts and tossing his jeans and other pants a bit haphazardly into a suitcase. He takes the extra effort in hanging his dress clothes so they don't get wrinkled.

By the time he's done with that chore it's nearly noon and there is a knock on his door, signalling the arrival of the movers. He let's them inside and is notified that they will be more than happy to pack the rest of his things. He tries to explain that he can help but they insist that he rest, so he's left to sit awkwardly at the kitchen table and read some stupid self-help guide to teaching. It's a bit embarrassing that he has to resort to this type of thing, but he can admit (not proudly) that he has no idea what he's doing when it comes to teaching.

Almost two hours later, the movers have all of his belongings and onto two separate trucks; one destined for the school and the other to a storage unit payed for by the school since they won't be needing any furniture while on campus. Toshi locks up the empty apartment then drops the key in his landlord's mailbox before heading to the school.

His first stop is to the infirmary where Recovery Girl is waiting for him. There she inspects his arm that had been bandaged for the last two days and deems it healed enough to not need the bandages.

"The only wound that still needs healing is your arm," she informs him after a kiss. Toshi props his elbow on his knee and rests his head in his hand, taking a deep breath to chase away the dizzying exhaustion. "It'll take several more treatments until the cast can come off."

Toshi groans in response causing the old woman to roll her eyes then glare at him. The cast reminds him too much of what happened after his first encounter with All For One, how hard everything was for him to do on his own. He just wanted it off so that he could be rid of the reminder and not have to think about asking for help at all.

"You have no stamina left, All Might," she says, noticing the sullen look on his face. "It's a miracle that you're still alive."

"I know that, but I'm not done here yet," he says firmly.

"Mmmm, so you're still fighting."

"I still have a reason to."

"Well for now, you need to rest and heal," she instructs. "I've taken the liberty this one time to make sure that there's food in your fridge. It's light enough that you shouldn't get sick but It will help you gain weight." Toshi looks at the nurse, wide-eyed. "Don't be surprised, I know you Toshinori. The weight will help you to not feel so exhausted but you won't regain what was lost. You _must_ take it easy."

"I can't afford to be reckless anymore," he says with determination.

"You couldn't afford it six years ago either," she chides. His face drops at her words. She's more than right about that. "I hope you're sincere this time."

"The world may not be able to rely on me anymore, but there is one that I can't leave alone yet." The words are said more to himself. A reminder that he has to continue fighting no matter how much it hurts.

* * *

As the sun begins to set, Aizawa steps off the elevator holding the last of his very few belongings that mostly consisted of school things. He walks the ten feet to the door of the flat that he and All Might are sharing, setting the box down then sticking the key into the deadbolt. It's still locked, much to his surprise.

He pushes the door open, steps inside with the box in his arms, then kicks it closed behind him. The short hall of the entryway opens up to a wide living room with enough seating for ten. Looking to the right, is a modest sized dining room and adjoining kitchen large enough for two to move around comfortably.

To his immediate left is a half bath and about ten more feet down from that is one bedroom. All Might's to be specific. On the opposite side across the living room is his. Aizawa's one distaste with the layout of the flat was that the bedrooms opened up directly to the living room.

Each room was complete with it's own bathroom and adjoining office, which Aizawa appreciated greatly for nights when he knew sleep wouldn't come to him. That had been his only concern about sharing a space with anyone. He was used to sleepless nights but he didn't want to disturb anyone, least of all a man still in recovery.

Speaking of which, he'd not seen the blonde all day. He'd seen the movers bring his stuff by earlier that afternoon, but he'd yet to see All Might. He hadn't even heard any shuffling about from his room. Aizawa had been surprised by how little they'd actually brought over, expecting him to own an abundance of meaningless memorabilia of himself. He berates himself for thinking so callously and heads to his bedroom, dropping the box onto his bed.

Aizawa goes into the kitchen and opens the fridge, not expecting it to be filled with proper food items. He narrows his eyes then closes the appliance door and spots a note taped onto it.

 _Eraserhead,_

 _I made sure that the fridge and pantry are filled with the kinds of food that All Might should be eating. Feel free to help yourself to any of it as I know there's more than he'll be able to eat before it spoils. You should think about eating proper food more often too... Instant noodles and fruit purees do NOT constitute as a healthy eating habit._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Recovery Girl_

He scoffs at the handwritten note and opens up the fridge once more, reaching for a banana and orange puree packet. Preparing food for someone else, he didn't mind even though it rarely happened. But creating a mess just to make himself something when he didn't eat much anyway seemed more like a waste of time and energy to him. Besides, that food was for All Might, not him. Curious though, he looks over the contents of the pantry as he twists off the plastic cap to the packet.

Lots of whole grains and proteins, things to help an individual put on weight mostly. Sure he knew that the former hero had his health issues but he hadn't once thought about the specifics. All might did appear lanky since he was a near foot taller than him and he always wore clothes that were far too big on him, but was he really in such bad shape that he needed to gain weight?

Aizawa whips his head about, hearing what sounded like someone groaning. He sips the rest of his snack, tossing the empty aluminum pouch into the trash then walks into the living room. The sound is clearer now and he learns that it's coming from All Might's room. Still unsure if the man is even in the flat, Aizawa quietly walks to the bedroom door and holds his ear to it. Sure enough he recognizes the voice whimpering just on the other side to be All Might's.

Not wanting to invade the man's privacy but concerned nonetheless, Aizawa returns to his room, removing his weapon and utility belt. After setting them atop his dresser, he changes out of his usual tracksuit and into a pair of grey sweatpants and black long sleeved shirt. The text on it had long since faded and was unreadable. It was something that Mic had bought from a concert some years ago, but there were no holes to speak of so Aizawa still wore it at home.

Once dressed, he grabs his laptop then returns to the living room to relax for a little bit and keep an ear out on his distressed co-worker. All Might must have come in while he was out and went straight to bed, though Aizawa had no idea when that could have been as he'd been in and out all afternoon. He stifles a laugh at the video he's watching as not to disturb All Might. He can't help but feel sorry for the man, knowing that Recovery Girl is keeping him in a permanent state of exhaustion until he's recovered.

Aizawa spends the next hour watching silly videos and absentmindedly checking his email, that's full innumerable invites for interviews and such. Nothing but trash in his opinion. Bored but unwilling to unpack quite yet, he sets the computer aside and meanders to the kitchen. He grabs the coffee grounds from the cupboard and makes a small pot for himself.

His addiction to the bitter drink certainly didn't help with his restlessness but the habit came from a time when his job required him to be up at all hours of the night. With his fern green mug in hand filled nearly to the brim, Aizawa returns to the couch. As he sits down, his attention is drawn to the bedroom door opening some six feet behind him.

Aizawa leans back against the short-back couch, tilting his head back as well, and looks up at the towering blonde. He's dressed in an oversized t-shirt and sweats that actually look like they fit him. The man is frozen in place, as though he'd not been expecting to see anyone. It's a logical assumption, Aizawa thinks as he could be unpacking his things right now. The dark-haired man looks at All Might for another moment before sitting upright and twisting his body to either side to crack his back.

He catches the man visibly shiver and mutters a quick apology, filing away the knowledge that the sound bothers the other man. He reaches for the cup on the table and brings the steaming liquid to his lips, aware of the eyes that are still glued to the back of his head. He picks up the laptop, sets it in his lap, and starts scrolling through the news headlines, ignoring any and all concerning All Might's retirement.

"Are you alright?" he asks, shaking the blonde from his trance.

Toshi shakes his head at Aizawa's question and pulls the bedroom door closed behind him. He starts walking to the kitchen, thinking that he'd not eaten much of anything since this morning.

"Sorry, Aizawa. You startled me, I guess," he admits. He receives a muffled hmmm in response from the man settled on the couch.

Toshi returns his attention back to the fridge, learning that Recovery Girl hadn't been kidding when she'd said that there would be food inside. There were plenty of high fatty fruits and vegetables for him. As well as plenty of meats and cheeses and other various dairy items. Things that were full of protein and help him gain weight. But with this sort of diet, he also needed to remain somewhat active and was thankful that the nurse had considered that.

Unfortunately, it was all something that needed at least two hands to prepare, and would be impossible to do on his own. He sighs and closes the fridge, startled again by the figure standing in front of the coffee pot. Had he really finished that cup already?

"You're awfully jumpy," Aizawa comments, thinking that his mind must still be on whatever disturbing images had been plaguing his sleep. He pours himself another cup of coffee then turns about to lean against the counter. "Were you needing help?"

Toshi pauses for a moment. Yes he needed help, but he wasn't about to bother the other teacher. It was one thing that he probably hadn't been given a choice concerning who he'd be sharing a space with and had already been asked to keep an eye out for him. He was sure that Aizawa had more important things to worry about.

"I haven't eaten dinner yet. Do you want anything?" Aizawa asks, drawing Toshi from his inner turmoil.

Well, it couldn't hurt if he was offering, right?

"Uhh, if it isn't too much trouble," he says, reaching up to rub the back of his neck as he averts his eyes from the other teacher.

Aizawa tilts his head curiously and walks past the blonde to open the fridge. "Anything specific you were wanting?"

"Actually, I was in the mood for a fried egg and sliced avocado," he says and watches Aizawa pull out the produce and carton of eggs. Toshi moves aside so that the man can work and grabs the bread from the pantry to toast up a slice for the each of them. "How done do you like your toast?"

Aizawa cracks two eggs into the cool skillet then turns on the heat before looking over to the blonde. "No toast for me thanks."

"Oh, okay." Toshi places a single slice into the toaster and puts away the bread. He watches Aizawa spoon the pit from the avocado and slice it thinly, then turn to the eggs as the whites are just starting to cook. "Do you cook often, Aizawa?"

"When it's just me, not really," he says with a shrug. "But seeing that you can't cook for yourself, I don't mind helping," he adds with a side glance in Toshi's direction.

The blonde averts his eyes once more and grabs two plates, setting them on the counter. Aizawa slides a spatula under one egg and plates it for himself, then flips the second egg to cook another thirty seconds. He switches the heat off then plates a couple slices of the avocado for each of them. Toshi tries to find some salt, but of course there isn't any and he makes a mental note to go shopping for spices and the like the next day. When the second egg is done, Aizawa slides it onto the other plate then brings them to the table.

The two teachers eat in relative silence. Toshi asks Aizawa if there's anything he needs from the store since he planned to go out for a little bit already the next day. Swallowing his bite of food, Aizawa can't seem to think of anything that he might need and says that he'll text All Might if he thinks of anything. When they're both done, Aizawa tells him not to worry about the dishes and that he should rest some more.

Annoyed and wanting to protest, Toshi agrees and actually bids Aizawa goodnight. He's not completely useless and doesn't wish to appear so, but he doesn't want to burden the man any further so he just goes back to his room. He walks into his bathroom and fiddles with the medications, much like he had that same morning, until he has one of each laying on the counter. With his good hand, he fills the plastic cup he keeps with his toiletries with water and alternates between tossing the pills into his mouth and taking a sip to wash them down.

Toshi doesn't want to go to back to sleep. He doesn't want to keep seeing the same nightmare over and over. The one where he failed to save Bakugou. Where he didn't make it out alive. Where he left young Midoriya alone just as Nana had done to him. Toshi fights back the sting of tears and clenches his fist until he can feel his nails start to dig into his palm.

He reminds himself that none of that had happened. It was only a dream. Bakugou was safe at home with his family and he was still here for Midoriya. Fighting to make sure that the boy didn't have to grow up alone with the burden that he had entrusted him with. Toshi would let this arm of his heal and would make sure that he got stronger so that he wouldn't fear the possibility of leaving him behind too early.

He didn't want to think about that possibility but what would happen to Midoriya if it that had been the case? He couldn't rely on his own mentor as he'd already helped teach the boy more that Toshi though possible. He was eternally grateful for his help, but he didn't want to leave that burden to him again. There were very few that knew of One For All's existence but he couldn't leave Midoriya's development to any of them, could he? The only one familiar enough with his successor and invested in seeing him grow in his own way was Aizawa, but he didn't know about his quirk and couldn't know.

He needs to stop thinking.

"You're alive because leaving him alone is _not_ an option," he says firmly to himself.

Toshi turns from the mirror and goes back to the bedroom. He settles into the king sized bed, propping up his casted arm and grabs the book that he started reading that morning. Perhaps reading something to help him so that he could better help the students would distract his thoughts enough that his nightmare wouldn't return. It isn't too long before the medicine starts to make him drowsy and his eyes grow heavy.

He manages to set the book on the nightstand and flip off the light before exhaustion overwhelms him and pulls him to sleep. All the while unaware of the man sitting six feet from his door, listening for those whimpers he'd heard earlier.

* * *

 **Reviews are much appreciated! Even if it's just to let me know that you like to story!**


	5. Concern

The days he had to prepare for the students' return to campus passed by in a blur Aizawa thinks as he climbs out from bed, hours before they're scheduled to arrive. As he dresses in his usual garb, he goes through everything he'd accomplished since his own relocation. His belongings were unpacked and somewhat organized. As long as he can find everything, he doesn't care.

He'd only just finished with the students' room assignments the previous day, having a little trouble deciding how to arrange the boys since the class was so uneven and the last thing he needed was a confrontation of sorts between Bakugou and Midoriya. He originally thought that the layout of the buildings were over the top, and had to remind himself that this was UA, so yes, it was over the top.

Other than the room assignments he had to decide how to approach the ten days that they would be on campus until the new term began. The original purpose of the camping retreat was to strengthen their quirks and then be issued provisional licenses. It was the simplest way for the students to get them and while he would have prefered the other option, at the time it was the safest way of doing things which mattered far more than his expectations of their abilities.

Now though, the only way for them to get the temporary hero licenses was through testing and ten days wasn't going to be enough. Even if his class was marginally ahead, they would need to take the definition of Plus Ultra to new heights. In order for them to do this, however, he needed help so he met with several teachers that would be best to help guide them during those ten days so that they'd be prepared. There was also the matter of registering each one them. It'd be a close cut to the deadline, but when you teach at the highest ranked national school you learned how to properly use reputation in order to get something done.

Throwing his weapon over his shoulders and clicking his utility belt into place, he walks out to the kitchen and brews a small pot of coffee. After having been addicted to the highly caffeinated substance, Aizawa was happy to learn that he didn't have to share since All Might preferred tea and caffeine was something that he was meant to avoid.

Pouring the piping hot liquid into his favorite cup (because even Aizawa can take pleasure in the small things) he looks toward the bedroom where said man is still sleeping. He hadn't seen or heard much from All Might since that first night, aside from the whimpers and frantic whisperings while he slept. Over the last few nights, Aizawa learned that his nightmare didn't come to him immediately. He'd sleep soundly for an hour or two before they attacked him.

Aizawa sat in, what he had since dubbed, his spot on the couch just outside All Might's bedroom in case the man woke up but needed someone to bring him from the terrors still. Fortunately, the nightmares didn't seem to be that bad as he remained asleep and eventually calmed down on his own. After the events of the USJ attack, Aizawa had suffered from horrible dreams as well and was able to sympathize with the man, figuring that he was probably seeing something happening to the student he gone to save.

All Might had spent most of his time at the flat in his room. With the treatments he'd been getting from the old nurse, sleeping was probably the only the he was able to. Though he did go out after that first night and came home with a fair selection of spices. Obviously the blonde was much more used to cooking than he was and hoped that once his cast came off, he didn't feel obligated to cook for him.

Aizawa wouldn't complain or turn down a fresh meal every now and then since they were living together, but he really didn't need anyone to concern themselves with his eating habits and feel the need to correct him on it. Least of all a man who was being made to gain weight even though it appeared that he normally cooked for himself. It was odd to Aizawa and he was curious about exactly what kind of wound All Might had suffered from in the past. Not that it was any of his business.

After a second cup, Aizawa walks to All Might's door and holds his ear to the door. There's no shuffling about or whimpering so he must still be sleeping. Before he steps through the front door, he looks back down the hall once more and waits for a minute just to make sure that the man isn't awake yet. It'd be ill timing for him to leave and only minute later for the man to wake up then need help with something.

Aizawa pulls the door closed behind him and locks it even though there's almost no point given where they're at. He steps onto the elevator and thinks back to that first night and how it had been the only night that he had cooked for All Might. He knew the blonde was eating since he'd spot an item or two missing from the fridge when he went to grab a fruit puree, which he needed to buy more of. Maybe after welcoming his class back to campus and showing them the dorm.

The elevator stops a floor below his and Aizawa can't help but roll his eyes. When the door opens, his longtime friend steps on with his hands shoved into his jacket as he hums to some foreign tune only he can hear.

"Eraser," he greets with only the first half of his hero name. "You're heading out a bit early to greet your kids."

"I still need to get them registered for the provisional licensing test," Aizawa explains. "Why are you heading out early?"

"Still finishing the English curriculum," he answers with a shrug.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that favor I asked of you, Hizashi," Aizawa notes, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not going everyday, but I'll stop by to help out the two that you mentioned to me,"Mic answers and turns to look at the dark-haired man. "You look... surprisingly well rested."

"I am. Sleep has come pretty easily the last few nights," Aizawa admits, not surprised that his friend would notice. Hizashi always noticed every little change about him. "It won't last though. It never does."

The two walk in comfortable silence to the main building, with Mic once again humming that tune of his. Once there, Aizawa stops by the lounge and pours himself a third coffee to sip on while he works. When he gets to his computer, Mic is already hard at work. Aizawa chuckles to himself, listening to the blonde grumble about how he doesn't get what's so hard about the damn language and how the students have major catching up to do since most exams scores had been lacking.

Sitting at his own station, he looks to the spot that All Might normally occupies and hopes that the man isn't having trouble with anything. Every other morning, he'd already been up by the time Aizawa was leaving. This morning had been the only exception and he was half tempted to walk back just to set his mind at ease, but he didn't. It was one thing for him to offer to cook the other night because clearly that had been the blonde's intent and he needed help. But Aizawa knew what it was like to lose all sense of autonomy after an injury and he didn't want to encroach on that and make the man feel more helpless than he probably already did. Instead, he takes a sip of his drink and busies himself with the test registrations.

* * *

With all twenty students of his class standing outside the dorm that had been assigned to them, Aizawa welcomes the group back to campus. He reminds them that the important thing is that they are all gathered together safely. The students look amongst themselves and are happy to see that everyone was able to get permission, especially Jirou and Hagakure as they'd been in the hospital the longest because of the attack.

Asui speaks up and tells Aizawa that she is relieved that he was able to return as well. The teacher thinks back to the night of the press conference, how convinced he'd been that he'd be losing his job. He reaches up with his left hand to scratch at his chin, realizing that he probably should have shaved this morning, and admits that he'd been surprised at first.

Instead of haphazardly trying to control all the teachers, they've been allowed the same autonomy as always while keeping a tight grip on their leashes. They knew that they were being watched and were expected to act like normal with that knowledge. Aizawa shrugged the thought away with a clap of his hands to get the students' attention, informing them that they'll be getting a quick briefing regarding their dorms after quashing a rumor that somehow the press had gotten a hold of regarding the nature of the camp they'd been at.

Aizawa confirms that the original plan had been for them to acquire temporary hero licenses at the end of camp. However, because of the attack that didn't happen. He wants to know why some of them thought it appropriate to act as though they had any right to do so. By this point, every face is crestfallen save for three. Good, they know what they've done and that they shouldn't have done it.

He names off the five offending students, showing them that he knew exactly where they were and what they'd done on the night in question. The reactions of their classmates are not surprising but they're not in the clear either. Still, they understand the gravity of the actions taken by the five he named. He informs the class that with the exception of Bakugou, Jirou, and Hagakure he would have expelled every one of them were it not for All Might's retirement.

At the mention of the former hero's name, Midoriya's eyes snap up and meet his. Of all individuals that should _not_ have been there, he was a top contender since he was still supposed be in the hospital that night. Aizawa is reminded that he still didn't know what was talked about during the student's home visit since _he_ hadn't been present for it. He had trusted All Might to secure Midoriya's continued attendance and had delivered. Good thing too, because Aizawa trusted this student the least and needed someone to keep an eye on him.

For the five named, expulsion was obvious. For the other twelve, well they were all aware of their intentions but did nothing to stop them, thus they could be held just as accountable. Their saving grace from here on out will be to follow the established rules so that he doesn't have to deal with anymore headaches from such reports and so that he can once again trust the students.

Done scolding them, Aizawa pushes his irritation aside (because he really hates having to treat them like children though it's necessary sometimes) and turns to show them their new home. Not a moment later, his attention is drawn back to the gloomy bunch as Bakugou forces Kaminari to fry his own brain to which the rest of them find funny. He scoffs at the childish action but say nothing since it seems to be breaking the class from their depressive stupor. Kids.

After class 1-A is dismissed for the day and told to meet in homeroom tomorrow morning, Aizawa leaves them to unpack their belongings and settle in. He shuffles down the front steps and sees All Might standing just outside. The man looks haunted, his blue eyes lackluster and his cheeks even more sunken. He looks like a man about to break down and give up.

He looks at Aizawa and tries his best to smile but the emotion isn't behind it. "How are the students?" he asks.

"They're just fine, though you shouldn't be worrying about them, All Might," Aizawa responds, stopping on the second to last step in front of the man.

Toshi goes stiff when his hero name falls from Aizawa's mouth. Pathetic. How can he still call himself that given his state of health? The name just feels wrong to him now. "You can call me Toshinori while the students aren't around," he says a bit shyly.

Aizawa's brows furrow at the random statement, but makes note of it. His mind wanders to this morning and he shouldn't ask, but the thought just hadn't left him since. "Were you okay this morning? I mean, I just didn't see you awake when I left."

"Oh, I was fine," he assures the dark-haired who he has to look up at since he's still standing on the stairs. "You don't need to worry about me. I've had worse injuries." Toshi's eyes widen as the words leave his mouth, not intending for them to have been voiced.

Aizawa narrows his eyes at the blonde. "Did you just come to check on students or are you headed somewhere?" he questions and moves to step beside All Might and head back to the main building. Toshi falls into step beside him.

"I was on my way to see recovery girl," he confesses, brushing a bang from his face only to have it fall forward again.

"She's taking her time with your arm, isn't she?"

"It's not her fault," he explains, shaking his head. "That's how little stamina I have. Pretty pathetic, huh?" he scoffs. He can barely handle getting himself healed.

Toshi tilts his head toward the shorter man beside him. Aizawa's gaze is fixed ahead of him but he's not paying attention to anything in particular. His hands are stuffed into his pockets. Toshi notices that the teacher doesn't look as tired as he normally. There's more color to his skin.

"I don't think it's pathetic," he says suddenly. Toshi just blinks at him as Aizawa looks up to meet his eyes. "It just means that you've fought hard enough and it's time for you to rest." Toshi looks away from him, feeling his cheeks heat up and hopes that Aizawa doesn't notice.

When they walk past the teacher's lounge Aizawa stops, intending to get another cup of coffee. "I'm going out a bit later for groceries, if you need anything let me know and I'll pick it up."

"I will. Thank you, Aizawa."

The man nods at Toshi, who turns and continues walking to the infirmary. He thinks about the comment that Aizawa made and sighs. He had fought his hardest, but in the end it wasn't enough. The threat was still out there and he was powerless to do anything about it. Still, it was nice of Aizawa to think that he'd done enough, because coming from a man who didn't hand out empty praise meant he'd been sincere.

* * *

After meeting with Recovery Girl and answering the same questions she's been asking for days, Toshi decides to spend a little time outside. With only the forty first years enrolled in the hero course to have returned to campus, the place is a bit eerie. The school grounds are large enough that from where Toshi is, just outside where the residence halls are located, all he can hear is the slight breeze in the air.

It was just him under the warming sun with the gentle breeze running through his hair, blowing his bangs out of his face. Toshi takes as deep a breath he can through his nose then holds it for a moment and exhales through his mouth. He'd read something once that deep breathing was meant to help clear one's mind, though he wasn't quite sure he believed that. Still it felt good to not think about anything for a moment. To just exist in the spot where he was standing without any worries.

Toshi walks to the small garden that was added between the halls and looks for a spot to sit. He sees a shaded area beneath a tree and settles himself against its trunk. Closing his eyes, he thinks back to a much simpler time, when he was a quirkless boy.

On days he was lonely, he'd visit the arboretum in town and spend hours beneath the trees there. He remembers at one point, for a time, there was a stray that hung around the tree that he normally sat at. He started bringing treats for the feline and after a couple weeks of feeding it and spending his afternoons with it, it stopped showing up one day.

He made sure to leave something for it nibble on in case it showed up after he'd already left, but after a week of not seeing the cat Toshi decided to look for it. It had been at arboretum everyday for a month so whereever it was sleeping had to be close, right? He must have looked like a total fool because for next two days after school, he searched for that cat.

It was during the second day that he met Nana. The sun was beginning to set and after two afternoons of climbing trees and ducking under bushes, Toshi was losing hope. After he stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants, the thirteen almost fourteen year old boy started to head home. His eyes were downcast and he hung his head so that he wasn't paying any attention to where he was going and he ran straight into the woman.

Rubbing his forehead, he looked up to see a brown-haired woman giggling at him. She was wearing a tracksuit, like she'd been out running. When she stopped her fit, the woman smiled sweetly at him and reached down to help him stand. But it was not the gentle hand that Toshi remembered helping him that day. He flinched and smacked the reaching hand away, looking back to see if it was really Nana there with him.

Instead he sees the hand covered face of Shigaraki and starts awake.

Chest painfully heaving, Toshi rubs his eyes to rid himself of the hellish sight then tries to regain control of his breathing before he has a coughing fit. A good minute of slow, deliberate breaths calm his racing heart. The lack or fear had been nice for the moment it lasted but reality was determined to him grounded in a nightmare.

He remains under the tree for several more minutes to watch the sun start setting after realizing just how long he'd been outside. His casted arm was already itchy and sitting in the grass had only caused his skin to become more irritated. In fact, his whole body itched and ached a lot worse than it had been over the last couple days and he thinks that dozing off was probably a really bad idea.

Toshi lets out a hiss as he stands up and reaches up to work out the knot in his shoulder from where his sling had been resting. Yep, very bad idea to fall asleep outside.

When Toshi walks into the flat, locking the door behind him, he can faintly hear music coming from the living room. Quietly, he tip-toes down the hall and halfway down he can see the veranda door slid open, letting in the evening breeze. He makes it to the end where it opens to the rest of the place and freezes, sucking in a breath at the sight before him.

In the middle of the floor, with his shirtless back to the blonde, Aizawa is sitting with his legs crossed and his hands resting in his lap. His hair is messily and loosely tied back so it's off his shoulders. His lightly scarred back is straight, but not rigid, and his shoulders held parallel to the floor he's sitting 's eyes wander to the man's right elbow and his nonexistent stomach drops when he looks at the starburst shaped scar, reminding the blonde again of who's been hurt by Shigaraki.

He shakes his head, not wanting to think about the criminal any more than he already has in one day. He can't see Aizawa's face from this angle but he imagines that his eyes are closed as he breaths in a steady tempo with the ambience that's coming from the man's was going to boil an egg to eat, but now doesn't even want to move for fear of disturbing the man.

A shiver runs down his spine as he listens to Aizawa release the breath he'd been holding as slowly as possible. Without realizing it, Toshi does the same. He's getting uncomfortable, standing still. His shoulder still aches and his skin still itches. Maybe he can get to his room. It's a straight path there and all he has to do is silently turn the knob, walk in, then lightly push the door closed. That way he can shower, change, and take his meds before eating. That should be enough time for Aizawa to finish his meditation without interruption.

Toshi walks to his bedroom and halts at the door. Aizawa hasn't shifted at all so he's still in the clear. The blonde takes a breath and goes to lift his arm only to have his shoulder lock up in protest. He can't help but to hiss at the pain that shoots to his neck. Aizawa's quirk flares to life at the disturbance and he looks over to the origin to see All Might hunched over in front of his bedroom door. Realization hitting him Aizawa blinks and jumps to his feet, hurrying to the blonde's side.

"What happened? What hurts?" he questions, looking for what might be wrong.

"It's just my shoulder," Toshi answers. "I was trying to get to my room without disturbing you. I'm sorry."

Aizawa shakes his head and leads him to the couch. He sits the taller man down and takes off the sling, removing the weight of Toshi's broken arm from that shoulder. He reaches down and lightly presses down on his skin until he finds the knot. Toshi flinches away from his touch and looks up to Aizawa, who's still shirtless. His heart begins to race as his eyes slide over his sculpted and lightly marred chest. He can feel his cheeks growing hot as he becomes aware of just how close the man is to him.

"Wait here. I have something that'll help," Aizawa says and turns to leave the room, plucking up his shirt along the way.

Toshi sighs and hangs his head in relief, wincing at the pain in his shoulder when he does so. Thank god that he hadn't gone shopping for clothes that fit properly he thinks as he adjusts himself, before the other teacher returns. Aizawa walks from his room, his shirt on, carrying what Toshi would assume to be an ointment of some kind. Walking past his phone, still playing that strange music, he stops in front of the blonde.

"This will help to loosen the muscle, may I?" he asks, not wanting to intrude on his personal space. Toshi nods to him and sits still, trying to ignore how close the younger man is standing. Aizawa opens the tube and squeezes out a small amount of the cooling ointment onto his fingertips. He slides the blonde's shirt aside so he can work in the cream and Toshi shivers when the cold substance makes contact with his skin.

"Sorry, I should have warned you," he chuckles.

Toshi shakes his head. "It's okay. I'm sorry that I disturbed you."

"That? Just pretend you didn't see anything," he suggests, pushing a little harder on the knot in Toshi's shoulder. "Hizashi will never let me hear the end of it if he finds out."

Eyes closed, Toshi furrows his brow at the added pressure on his shoulder. "I wasn't planning to make a spectacle of it. I didn't even know you did that sort of thing."

"I actually don't. Most of the time I'm too tired," Aizawa admits with a shrug. "You smell like grass, Toshinori? Where've you been?" The blonde's eyes snap open at the sound of his name and looks dumbfounded. "What? Should I have-"

"It's fine," Toshi blurts out and shrugs away from Aizawa. "You just surprised me is all." The blonde stands up, forcing Aizawa to take a step back to accommodate the blonde's frame. "Umm, thank you for helping with my shoulder."

Aizawa has to crane his neck up to look at Toshi. "You're welcome," he says and watches the man step around him. "Are you feeling okay?"

Toshi freezes at his bedroom door. "I-I'm fine. I dozed off in the garden earlier and just really want to shower. Goodnight Aizawa," he says in a rushed voice then slams his door closed behind him.

"Oh, goodnight then," Aizawa says after the door is already closed. He stares at it for a second, baffled by what just occurred. If Aizawa didn't know any better, he'd say that the blonde looked a bit flushed, but that couldn't be right, could it?

Toshi waits with his back against the door as he hears Aizawa move across the floor to slide the veranda door closed then return to his own bedroom. After hearing his door click closed, he lets out a soft curse and slides down to the floor. He is ashamed of himself for having such a reaction toward the younger teacher. Sure he thought that Aizawa was attractive, but this... it was all tension. That's exactly what it was.

Toshi is simply frustrated with everything that was happening around him; his own weaknesses, this damn cast he was still wearing, lack of human touch- no goddammit. Huffing, Toshi goes to the bathroom to warm the shower, needing to desperately relieve himself.


	6. Advice & Self Doubt

Toshi spends the next morning holding himself painfully still in bed until Aizawa leaves for the day. After what felt like an eternity, he hears the door close behind the man and throws the blankets aside. He reaches past the waistband of his pants and with a hiss, starts to stroke himself slowly. Last night he'd been too desperate; sought release too fast and the rush was enough to leave him winded. At least he was able to relax for the remainder of his shower.

Moving his wrist just a little faster, Toshi let's out a breathy moan. He wants to savor the feeling of being touched and wishes that he had use of his other arm. It had been a while since he'd last relieved himself, but last night was the first time in a long time that he yearned to be touched by another. Six years without being touched by another, and even longer since being touched by a man. After his injury and numerous surgeries, his just wasn't sure that he'd be able to keep with a partner for him to enjoy it. But the real reason he's not been intimate with anyone in so long is that he's just never gotten used to the scar. He still hates to see it and has long since convinced himself that if he were ever intimate again, that's all his partner would see.

Toshi bites his lip as he rubs his thumb over the head of his dick, smearing a bit of precum over the sensitive flesh. He's nearing his climax, but he's keeping the pace slow because he wants this feeling to last. However with his mind all over the place he won't finish at all. He needs to focus on something to push him over the edge. Closing his eyes and shifting his hips off the bed a little, Toshi tries to find an image to to focus on. Regrettably he pictures Aizawa, sitting almost exactly as he had been the previous night when Toshi got home.

"Shit," Toshi hisses as he finishes on his shirt.

He remains in bed until he comes down from his high, too ashamed to seek out something to keep it from leaving him. It's not that he's attracted to Aizawa, he tells himself. Yes the man is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but this is just him craving human touch. What Toshi desperately needs is to just be held. He could do without getting off but the only way to mimic that particular release of hormones in one's own company was doing just that.

It's embarrassing and unprofessional for him to be using his colleague in such a manner. It isn't fair for Toshi to project his need on the unsuspecting man, and at this point he just wants to curl up under the covers and hide. But his mind isn't so muddled anymore. Yes, he still thinks that picturing Aizawa is a bad idea but the euphoria that had washed over him, pushed his worries to the back of his mind and he realizes that last night he didn't have any nightmares.

Toshi lazily sits up, removing his shirt as he does so. He throws said article into the hamper, then quickly washes up and dresses into a navy polo and pair of baggy khaki pants. Looking down at the pill bottles by the sink, he remembers that after his shower last night he'd been able to slink to the kitchen and grab a cup of yogurt to eat so that he didn't get sick halfway through the night. The living room had been empty and he assumed that Aizawa had remained in his room since Toshi had heard him close it the first time.

The blond was glad that he'd not been sitting in the living room as he had that first night because he didn't want to risk the chance of Aizawa prying about what had gotten into him. That had been part of the reason he made sure to stay in his room until the other man left. It wasn't that he expected Aizawa to be nosy, as he knew that he wasn't that type of individual. But Toshi was a little more than flustered yesterday which could have been seen as a cause for concern.

Standing in the kitchen, Toshi shakes the thought from his head and grabs a cup of yogurt from the fridge. He didn't care that he had the same thing last night. He just needed something simple to take with the medicine since it was important that he not forgo taking them since he wasn't seeing Recovery Girl today. She was satisfied with how his arm was healing and confirmed that he'd be able to get the cast off before the new term. That as all well and fine, but today he was happy that he wouldn't need to fight the feeling to sleep since that exhaustion wouldn't be present. He didn't want to waste that and intended to check in on the students a bit later.

He hadn't been asked to help in any way, but Aizawa also hadn't told him that he couldn't stop by. The other teachers would probably protest and tell him that he should be resting but he just couldn't sit around and do nothing. At least not for an entire day. For now, since he was relaxed and clear of mind, he was content to spend some time reading as he'd not done so in a few days due to being too tired or stir crazy.

At around noon, after eating twice more, Toshi makes his way to Gamma Gym. The breeze that was present yesterday is absent so it's actually feels hot out today causing his cast to stick rather uncomfortably to his skin. When he get to the gym he spots Aizawa standing by the door, back away from the students so he can see everything that's happening.

Toshi stands just outside the door, leaning against the frame with his good arm, watching what students he's able to see. Instinctively, his eyes search for Midoriya and he sees that the boy is lost in thought. Given the state of his arms, it's normal for him to be hesitant right now as he needs to keep from causing further damage to himself. Still, he looks too lost and Toshi starts to think of how he might be able to help his successor.

"They're really getting into it aren't they?" he asks, drawing the aloof teacher's attention.

"All Might?" Aizawa is surprised to see the blond but is also relieved to see that he looks better than the previous night.

"I know that I wasn't asked to come but I'm not doing anything else today," he says as he steps inside to join Aizawa in watching the class.

"You really should be resting then," Aizawa suggests, turning back to watch the students.

"I'm don't plan to stay long, but I am a teacher too, Aizawa."

Aizawa considers Toshinori's words, remembering that he asked to be addressed as such when the student's weren't around, and concedes to his point. He his a teacher and has every right to observe and offer what insight he has available. He watches the blond from the corner of his eye, taking note that his shoulder doesn't seem to be bothering him and his skin isn't flushed like it was last night.

"Does your shoulder still hurt?" There's no harm in checking, though if he wanted Aizawa knows that Toshinori could lie to him.

The taller man tenses up a little at Aizawa's question, but reminds himself that he's probably just wanting to make sure he's okay after how he rushed to his room last night. "It's fine, you really helped me out," he says. Toshi looks down at him and smiles brightly. Aizawa turns his attention back to the students, no longer worried after seeing that goofy grin.

Many of them are already comfortable enough with themselves that they're starting to think of some new approaches with their quirks. Others are focusing on pushing themselves past their current limits for the time being. All in all progress is being made. But there is one that seems a touch lost as what to do. Midoriya is the farthest behind as far as his quirk goes. Aizawa will admit that he's made significant progress since the beginning of first term but he's still got a ways to go until he's back on par with the rest of the class.

"Bakugou really is something," he hears Toshinori say and looks to where the explosive student is.

"He is," Aizawa agrees, "and he's only going to get stronger from here."

Toshi nods in agreeance and looks around to the students. Many of them seem to have already given some thought as to which direction the want to take their quirks. Now it's just a matter of making those thoughts and ideas of theirs a reality. His eyes land on Midoriya and he turns to Aizawa to excuse himself. The shorter man regards him carefully and watches him approach the struggling student.

"Hey," Toshi says, drawing the boy from his thoughts.

"A-All Might," he stutters, looking up to him.

"I've got some advice for you," he offers, holding his left fist in front of the boy. "You're still trying to imitate me, aren't you?"

Midoriya blinks at the hero and opens his mouth to ask for clarification, but Toshi turns on his heel calling out to Kirishima. He glances back to the boy who's now looking down at his hands. It would be simple for Toshi to have given him a straight answer, but he knows that Midoriya learns better when he can discover what he needs to on his own. He just needed a little nudge in the right direction.

Aizawa's eyes follow the blond as he walks from Midoriya and over to another group of students. Whatever he said to the boy has only pushed him to think further. He hopes that the student is able to think of something before too long since it looks like he's going to have lost an entire day with nothing to show for. Aizawa sighs and notices something in Toshinori's back pocket. It looks like a book so he narrows his eyes to read the title and bites the inside of his cheek to keep from calling the man out.

Glaring daggers at the idiot and his idiotic self-help book, Aizawa once again wonders just why the now former number one hero decided to come to UA. The retiree was a clueless oaf that really didn't know the first thing about teaching, or even self-restraint when it came to certain things. Over the months he had observed that Toshinori often let his emotions cloud his judgement during lessons causing things to get out of hand and students to get hurt.

But that was something that came with experience, Aizawa supposed. As he watched the blond make his rounds, he saw that Midoriya was now gone. The teacher turns to Midnight who informs him that he'd gone to the Development Studio. Visiting the support department already? That didn't take him long. Maybe the problem child's day wouldn't be a waste after all.

That evening when Aizawa walks in, he finds Toshinori at the table struggling to open his medications. Raising an eyebrow at how the blond was holding the small bottle between his cast and chest, he walks over to the table. He reaches for the bottle, pulling it from the awkward grasp and twists the cap off. He does the same for the four medicines then walks to the kitchen, spotting a saucepan on the stovetop and switching it off, then returns to Toshinori with a glass of water.

"Thank you, Aizawa," he mumbles. Toshi tosses a single pill in mouth then takes a sip of water, repeating the action for the others. He watches Aizawa return to the kitchen, pulling his hair into a bun at the nape of his neck.

"Were you about to eat?" he calls from the pantry.

"Yes," Toshi answers. "I brought everything out here to watch the water since it takes me a minute to wrestle these open."

Aizawa just hums in response and places a single pack of instant noodles on the counter. He takes out a clean saucepan and eyeballs the water until it's close to the amount needed, then places it on the stovetop. While he waits for it to boil, be removes the one that Toshi already had going and runs it under cold water.

"You should probably be eating more than just a couple hard boiled eggs each day," he comments as he cuts up a few fresh vegetables that he pulled from the fridge.

"Probably," Toshi agrees with a shrug. He's glad that Aizawa's attention is elsewhere and not on him and the blush he can feel painting his cheeks. As Aizawa works, Toshi reaches up and fiddles with his bangs, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the table and not the man preparing him food for a second time now.

Aizawa opens up the noodles and carefully drops them into the now boiling water, removing the pot from the heat. They need to sit for a couple minutes so he heads to his bedroom to change, letting the blond know that he'll be right back. Toshi just nods at his voice and waits for him to return.

Aizawa pulls off his scarf and belt, placing them atop the dresser. His mind wanders to how Toshinori has been acting over the last day, as he kicks off his boots and removes his clothes. The man seems more at odds with himself, like he's struggling to figure something out. Whatever it is, it seems to have made him a little stir crazy, though that also might just be due to Recovery Girl's treatments and the exhaustion that comes with them..

When he walks out of his room the blond is still waiting at the table, pulling at his bangs. Aizawa has noticed that he does that when he's nervous. Strange that he's never noticed it before, but before his retirement he was still All Might to the rest of the UA staff, even in his emaciated form. That all mighty Symbol of Peace, even when he wasn't in the public eye he had to maintain a certain guise.

But he wasn't that individual anymore, at least not to Aizawa. He was simply a retired hero and a teacher at the highest ranked high in the nation. But before all that he was a man with poor health. He must be having one hell of an identity crisis.

Holding two bowls, one a much smaller portion than his, Aizawa goes to the table and places one in front of the blond, coaxing him from whatever thoughts that are weighing on his mind. Aizawa watches Toshinori push his food around rather than eat it and asks if he was actually hungry to begin with. The man admits that he really wasn't but he needs to eat something now that he's already taken his medicine.

Toshi was doing better about eating more throughout the day, but he had no appetite whatsoever. He hadn't for the last six years. Even still, he forces himself to eat what Aizawa had prepared for him. The noodles were good and he thought back to the last time he'd had them. It had certainly been a while, but perhaps it was just how they'd been prepared and the fact that they'd been made for him.

Aizawa had taken the eggs that he would have eaten, and sliced them up. He'd also sliced up some fresh vegetables to add to the broth. His portion might have been smaller than Aizawa's own, who had nearly finished his, it was still more than he was able to eat. That wasn't Aizawa's fault though as he didn't know just how much he was able to eat at a time. It was also something that he'd never expect him to know since he, nor any of the other teachers, knew just how bad his body was.

When the two of them are done eating, Toshi prepares water for some tea and keeps Aizawa company while he cleans up the dishes. The blond offers him a meek apology for not really being able to help. Aizawa tells him to stop worrying about that and thanks Toshi for stopping by the gym, though that doesn't mean he can visit every day. He tells the taller man standing beside him that he should be resting so he's prepared for the next term, it actually encouraged the students a bit to see him. Especially Midoriya.

Toshi pauses at the mention of his successor and looks down at Aizawa who confesses that he sometimes worries for the problem child because he always seems to appear much farther behind the rest of his classmates. However, he's also surprised by how fast Midoriya is able figure out what needs to be done to solve his problems. Toshi turns away to remove the kettle from the heat and smiles to himself while he does so.

Aizawa was kind to the students in his own way, but the blond was noticing a little more outward concern and compassion from him as of late. He held himself and his students to a higher standard than most, often deceiving them to bring out the best of their abilities. That was his way of teaching and producing results. He used to think it was a bit harsh but at the end of the day, Aizawa knew what his students needed in order to grow and always provided the right kind of help or directed them to someone better suited. Toshi admired that quality of Aizawa he thought when he looked back him as he finished cleaning

The teacher was aware of his own shortcomings and sought assistance when he knew that he alone wasn't was why he'd enlisted the help of the other teachers so that they could try to make up for lost time. Toshi couldn't help but wonder how different his life might have ended up being if he had someone with Aizawa's personality in his life. What a silly thought.

Turning the water off and drying his hands, Aizawa notices just how quiet Toshinori has been the entire time. He's said a few words here and there, responded to the questions that he'd thrown out there. But he hadn't initiated any conversation and Aizawa became unusually self-conscious. What if the blond had wanted to spend his evening alone and he had intruded on that?

"Something wrong, Aizawa?" Toshi asks, seeing that the other teacher had fallen silent and hadn't moved from the sink though he was finished with the dishes.

Back still facing the blond, he shakes his head. "I'm fine. Was just thinking." He turns to look at Toshinori and leans back against the counter. "I'm going to go shower," he announces hesitantly. "Do you need anything?"

Toshi just smiles and shakes his head at him. "You really don't need to worry about me, Aizawa. But thanks again," he says smiling then takes a sip of the warm drink in his hand. Maybe he really had intruded Aizawa thought as he nods at him then turns to his room.

He took his time working the shampoo into his hair, enjoying the tea tree and mint scented suds as they ran down his face when he held his head beneath the water stream. Hizashi chided him all the time about how he'd have much softer hair if he took care if it properly after showering, but his looks had never mattered much to him. Even now he hardly gave it much thought unless he was made to attend something like the press conference and home visits that had taken place almost a week prior. The only thing concerning his hair that he cared about was whether or not it looked and smelled clean.

While he lets conditioner set in his hair for a minute, Aizawa's mind wanders back to how little time his class has to prepare for the exam. It was an oddity to have the first years take the exam so soon, but with everything that they'd been involved in and how trouble just seemed to seek certain individuals out, it was necessary. They were already on the fast track to becoming the next generation of top heroes in the country so he tried to look at these attacks as nothing more than obstacles for them. Sometimes it was hard though, even for him. Never before had there been such unprecedented attacks on the school directly. Well, they weren't exactly without reason, but this was also the first time that UA had such an important figure teaching the next generation.

Tired of standing under the water but not tired enough to want to sleep, Aizawa wrings out the water from his hair and ties it back (another thing Hizashi liked to complain about). Once he's dry and dressed, he goes out to the living room with his laptop and makes his way to his spot on the couch. He spends several hours going from watching videos of cats to looking up the latest news.

It's well after midnight when he hears Toshinori begin to stir. Aizawa pauses the video and listens to his frightened whimpers. It almost sounds like he's crying and he's reminded of the weeks after the USJ attack that Hizashi stayed with him. There were plenty of nights where his friend held him until his broken sobs would cease. In his dreams he remembered not being able to save Asui, though he knew that she was fine because he saw her in class everyday. But even knowing wasn't enough to chase the nightmares away each night.

Aizawa was happy to know that he had someone like Hizashi who would look out for him like that when he needed the emotional support. He didn't know if Toshinori had anyone like that. There was a lot about him that Aizawa didn't know and he wondered if anyone knew the real Toshinori Yagi. His heart skips a beat at the thought of Toshinori's given name. How many people actually knew the retiree's given name?

It had been in his file when the principal had first informed the teachers that he was going to teach but he doubted that any of them actually remembered it since they all addressed him by his hero name. Aizawa was the only teacher that preferred to be called by his surname. His thoughts are interrupted by violent coughs coming from the man's room.

Toshi jerks his body upright, barely covering his mouth in time to prevent blood from getting everywhere. The nightmare was different this time. It started as his memory of meeting Nana for the first time and just like yesterday, the hand that was meant to help him had gripped his neck and it started to crumble into dust. Hence his coughing fit. There's more blood than normal this time and he can't help but to be a little scared of the sight.

There is a soft knock on his door causing him to jump. "Toshinori, what's wrong?" His heart calms down a little at the sound of Aizawa's voice and he opens his mouth to answer, but another cough erupts from him.

He rushes to the bathroom and coughs into the sink, blood dripping from his hand and chin. He hears the door open and he kicks the bathroom shut, hoping that Aizawa takes the hint. It takes him a good minute to stop coughing and catch his breath. Toshi is horrified by the sight of the sink and turns on the water, rinsing his hand and face.

His reflection reminds him of when he first started to rapidly lose weight, the gangly sight of skin and bones. A shadow of his former self. It's all he's been for years now but the world is only just seeing it for the first time. He's seen this reflection countless times, but the fear in his blue eyes makes him unrecognizable. He remembers that he's not alone though and makes sure that both he and the sink are free of red.

When he opens the door to step back into the room, Aizawa is leaning against the doorframe, having understood that Toshi didn't want to be seen. The lanky man looks over to his alarm, eyes widening at the time. He turns his attention back to the teacher just standing inside his room.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he says looking downcast.

"I wasn't asleep Toshinori," he says shifting his weight off the wall. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

Toshi appreciates Aizawa's concern but it makes him feel vulnerable and he wonders if Aizawa was asked to listen for these coughing fits of his. He wouldn't agree to something like that, would he? Suddenly, Toshi realizes that he doesn't really know much about him on a personal basis.

"I'm better now. Thank you for checking in," he says dryly.

Aizawa isn't quite sure what to think about his tone of voice, but doesn't pry. He can't force the man to talk but he can offer to listen if he ever wanted to. "If it's too much to bear alone, you can always ask for help. No one would think any less of you."

Toshi's eyes light up a little but he doesn't say anything. For years he's wished to have someone to confide in, but the burden that he bore had been entrusted to him. They were secrets that had to kept between a select few. But besides all that, he didn't want to burden another because of what he'd chosen to take on. He padded back to his bed, propping up his arm and just laid there.

He'd been so ready to give up before and then Midoriya had kept him going. He thought that he was over thinking about this stuff but it was creeping back on him. What if it wasn't enough? He was still a child and there were still things that he'd not told him because he didn't see a reason to. Toshi was far too weak to carry what he still did, but he did so for the sake of others. To protect them.

When Aizawa pulls the bedroom door closed behind him, he waits until he can hear Toshinori walking back to bed before returning to his laptop. He already knew that sleep wasn't going to come to him, but if it had he probably would have stayed on the couch regardless because he wasn't confident that he should be out of earshot of the obviously distressed blond.


	7. A Chance

Over the course of the next four days, Aizawa is slightly impressed by the progress being made by his class. Some students had already made changes to their costumes and others had at least one special move created. Their minds were free, bringing life to the countless ideas they had imagined as children. He was envious. The last four days, he'd been stuck in his mind; thinking about Toshinori and what happened the other night. Since then, just as he had after the first night they'd eaten together, the blond had been avoiding Aizawa. Four days and he hardly saw or heard from the man.

Aizawa lets his eyes fall shut and stuffs his hands into his pockets. Apparently the previous day, no one had seen All Might as Recovery Girl had come asking about him. He was uncomfortable and annoyed with her questions of wanting to know the man's every move like he would know. That was far beyond what had been asked of him and he didn't appreciate that she assumed he was keeping tabs on the blond. Quickly becoming irate with the nurse, Aizawa merely informed her that he'd not seen him that morning before leaving and that he'd not been by the gym since that first day either.

After checking in on Toshinori the other night, Aizawa felt like he'd overstepped the man's boundaries. He'd been trying to tell himself that he was only looking out for the for the blond's well being but now, he wasn't entirely sure. These nightmares of Toshinori's... they reminded Aizawa too much of his own that he still struggled with some nights. After his own recovery, he'd learned to dissociate himself from those thoughts through meditation. It was something that Hizashi had talked him through on the nights where he just couldn't escape the horrors.

He needed to talk to him. Aizawa needed to apologize and let him know that his words the other night had been sincere because Toshinori didn't deserve to suffer alone.

Aizawa reaches into a back pouch on his belt and pulls out his eye drops. As he carefully squeezes a drop into each eye, he hears someone approach from behind.

"How are things coming, Aizawa?" Toshi asks.

Just like the first day he visited, Aizawa was surprised to see the man show up after hardly seeing him for the last few days as though it were nothing. It annoyed him.

"The students are coming along," he answers, blinking several times until his vision cleared.

A loud explosion catches their attention and the two look above them to see Bakugou making a display of another new move. "Some of them already have multiple moves," Toshi comments, observing the student.

"Seems that hot-head is projecting his anger a bit more properly now. I just hope he can control it during the exam," Aizawa notes, casting a side glance at the taller man.

Toshi furrows his brow and looks down at the teacher, noticing how often his eyes are drooping shut. He looked more like his usual self, haggard and at his wits end. "What do you mean?"

"Failure isn't an option," he states clearly. "But you know how these exams go, Toshinori."

Toshi thinks about Aizawa's words and can agree that the explosion creating student needed to watch his anger towards others, but he also wanted to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. He understood Aizawa's concern as he knew exactly how these exams went, but Bakugou was a smart individual and Toshi wanted to believe that he'd wisen up, if only to pass the exam.

Changing his train of thought, he takes a step forward and searches for Midoriya. Given the state of the boy's arms, Toshi is worried about him being able to come up with a way to pass the exam. He's not lost confidence in the boy, but his dream of becoming a hero could shatter in an instant if he wasn't careful. As he looks for the green-haired boy, the rock from the cliffs above where Bakugou is crumbles, and plummets directly toward Toshi below.

"Idi-" Aizawa starts and unfurls his scarf, readying to pull the man out of harm's way. Yanking him in a rush would undoubtedly hurt the man's still injured arm, but it was far better than the alternative. However, before he even blinks the falling rubble is smashed to pieces. The surprise doesn't leave yet, as he watches Midoriya land in front of the blond, sporting a new style of his own. He'd already started submitting and granting permissions for those that had requested costume changes.

He'd been curious about the direction Midoriya was planning to go and though it was unexpected, it was smart. Learn to use other parts of your being to achieve the same goal. Even more unexpected though was the beaming grin on Toshinori's face. Whatever the man appeared to be so confident about, it obviously concerned Midoriya.

Aizawa observes the scene unfold before him; listening as All Might tells Midoriya his new style will probably be more than just a stopgap. Aizawa agrees, knowing full well the condition of the student's arms. His potential had grown considerably since the first day of class and it was continuing to do so. No matter what his personal feelings regarding the problem child, he had to admit that it's be a shame to see him fail now.

Remembering what just happened and that Toshinori was still on the field, Aizawa walks over to the gathering group noticing that a couple students had wandered over. "All Might, you should stand back," he says, reaching out to him. "It's dangerous."

"That's rude," he howls at the man, causing Aizawa to stop. Toshi calls out an apology to Bakugou who merely shouts for him to be careful. That cheerful and proud smile that had suddenly falls as he notices the worried looks surrounding him. It's dangerous. You should stay back. He understands why they're concerned, but has he really become someone that needs to be protected?

The sullen look doesn't go unnoticed by Aizawa and he realizes what's been bothering the blond. He reaches out to him, gently taking his arm and pulls him toward the door. "Toshinori," he whispers softly causing Toshi's eyes to widen in surprise, "You and I-" he's interrupted by the arrival of class B, whose teacher he chides for arriving early.

As Aizawa reprimands the teacher and tells his class to get comfortable since they still had ten minutes before they needed to clear out, Toshi continues to head for the door, out of the way. The rock falling had been an accident, but it was his own fault for not paying attention. That's why he had apologized to Bakugou. Even still, it hurt his pride to know that he couldn't even protect himself from accidents like that.

He looks to Aizawa and wonders what he was going to say before class B showed up. There had been no anger on his face and his voice had sound nothing but concerned. Still, he didn't know what the man wanted to say to him. It probably didn't matter now since he and his class were about to clear from the gym, allowing the other class of heroes-in-training to practice. Aizawa is the last from class A to leave the gym, only nodding at Toshi when he walks past. Part of him had hoped that the man would stop and finish his thought from before. Stupid.

The remaining teachers keep a close eye on the retiree, ensuring that he stays away from the field. He observes the other half of the hero course, not having spent much time with them and decides that they're an impressive lot, but even he is able to notice the gap between the classes. Though perhaps it could also just be a difference between the teaching styles of the homeroom teachers.

He doesn't stay for long, becoming annoyed by the watchful eyes of his co-workers. He's growing to hate this feeling of helplessness and himself a bit since it was possible that it all could have been avoided had he done things differently. But the past was just that and there was nothing he could do to change things now. It's only just after noon, and he really doesn't feel like going back to the flat quite yet so he leaves campus for a bit and ends up at a small nursery.

Thinking about how he missed having a plant to care for, Toshi goes inside to see if anything catches his eye. Most of the selection are outdoor autumn blooms, but in the back corner of the shop he spots a small collection of houseplants. There is only one that grabs his attention and it almost brings tears to his eyes just thinking about who it reminds him of. Almost.

He takes a closer look and gently fiddles with the stems and leaves, noting that they aren't crumbling at his touch. There is still some life yet in the plant, so Toshi decides to take it home. Everything deserved a second to live and sometimes all one needed was a little love and attention to help start the blooming process. He pauses for a moment and wonders: did that include him? The blond shakes his head. He was still here so of course that included him.

But who would ever love him the way he now loved this wilting plant?

* * *

When Toshi returns to the flat, he spots Aizawa sitting on the couch with his knees pulled close to his chest and his attention directed across from him, he also had his laptop open as he mindlessly scrolled through whatever was on the screen. The dark-haired man turns to look at him and raises an eyebrow at the dying plant in his hands and the bags hanging off of his arm.

"Shouta," Hizashi sings, snapping his fingers to get his friend's attention. Aizawa turns back to the red-eyed blond sitting in Toshi and he's living room. "You gonna come tonight?"

Toshi rounds the corner, drawing the other blond's attention. "Hi Yamada," he greets with a smile.

Aizawa takes a sip of coffee, his eyes following Toshinori as he goes to the kitchen table with his items.

"A plant?" Yamada asks, shooting a look to Aizawa who just shrugs.

"It's a peace lily," Toshi says, gently setting on the table. "I'm sorry for interrupting," he says reaching up to pull at his bangs.

"Don't be," Mic says cheerfully and hops up from the couch to stand beside the retiree. "I was just inviting Shouta out for drinks later tonight, You should join us."

"Hizashi, don't," Aizawa warns, walking into the kitchen for more coffee.

"What?! It'd be rude not to invite him," Hizashi exclaims, his voice wavering.

"I appreciate the offer, Yamada," Toshi says with a chuckle, "But perhaps another night?"

Mic just smiles and throws an arm around the man's shoulders. "See Shouta? I was only asking."

"Leave, Hizashi," Aizawa snaps.

"Okay," the blond says with his hands raised in surrender, "I'm gone."

Aizawa rolls his eyes and shakes his head. After he takes a sip of coffee he looks over to the remaining blond, who is looking back at the dying plant, smiling fondly at it.

"You know that's dying, right?" he notes.

"It is," Toshi agrees sadly. "It still has a chance though."

It would require a lot of care, but he wanted to see it healthy. Once you got them to blossom, they would be in a constant state of bloom and when they were healthy, the lily could hold up to five flowers at once. Toshi liked them for their beauty and their symbolism as they held various meanings such as hope, peace, and purity. A bit ironic but he didn't care.

"Does it?" Aizawa asks, curious to know the chances of survival for the wilting plant.

Toshi looks over to Aizawa and an idea comes to him. He didn't think about how it would be impossible for him to re-pot the lily on his own with only one hand. "Would you like to help and find out?" Aizawa looks at the blond, who is pulling at his bangs again. "I didn't consider that I wouldn't be able to do this on my own."

Aizawa takes another sip of his coffee then sets the mug. "What do you need?" he asks, holding a finger beneath the wilting flower. It's the only flower on the plant, but it's clearly dead and barely hanging onto its stem. He has half a mind to just rip it off, but the man beside him holds a small pair of shears out to him.

"I'll show you what needs to be clipped," he directs gently.

Aizawa takes the shears and follows Toshinori's lead, being careful not to cause any more damage to the plant. He listens to how the blond's voice lilts a bit as he tells Aizawa more about the plant in question. They end up cutting far less than he would have thought and when he asks why, the other man informs him that because the plant isn't bulbous and is a house plant, it has to grow some before the rest of the dead fiber can be cut.

The next step is transferring the lily, which begins with Aizawa lining the base with the loose gravel Toshinori had purchased then filling the new pot halfway with fresh soil and creating a well in the center. He had to admit that he'd have never guessed that All Might had such a passion for gardening. It just seemed... so gentle and unlike everything he'd ever known about the man. But behind the strength that Toshinori once wielded, Aizawa was learning that there was so much more to him.

With the well created, Toshi instructs Aizawa to grip the plant at its base and pull it from the pot, dumping the dried dirt on top of the fresh soil. As he's holding it over its new home, Toshi fiddles with the roots, loosening them and letting the dirt fall away so that they can spread farther and deeper. When he's done, Toshi watches Aizawa nestle the lily into the well and thoroughly bury the roots. All that's left to do is generously water it and set it someplace out of direct sunlight.

Aizawa lets Toshi take care of that while scrubs the dirt from his hands and under his nails so that he can start dinner. It was a nice distraction compared to the videos he'd watching for days now. At the beginning of breaks, Aizawa had plenty to keep him busy, but towards the end he always grew bored and a little stir crazy; a side of him that only Mic had seen. As he dries his hands, he steps aside to let Toshi run the water over it.

"Thank you for helping me, Aizawa," he says and turns to smile at him.

Aizawa's breath stills at the sight. He's never seen him smile so gently before. He steps closers and reaches up to remove the sling from the blond's neck, then tapes a plastic bag over his cast. "You go wash up. I'll actually cook us a proper meal," Aizawa instructs.

There's a part of Toshi that wants to argue, but on his way home he'd done a little thinking. Without his quirk, he _was_ someone that needed protecting because physically he just couldn't do it. If Midoriya hadn't jumped out earlier, then Aizawa would have pulled him out of the way. He thought that he understood what all this meant, but it took him almost getting hurt with no way to save himself to see what was so obvious to everyone else.

He doesn't say anything though. The blond just nods and goes to his bedroom. While Toshi goes off to wash up, Aizawa cleans the table down, then starts cooking up some curry. He had intended to speak to the blond about the other night and what happened at the gym today when he got home, but with Mic over and then getting distracted with the plant the opportunity hadn't shown itself. He still didn't quite see the value bringing home something that was dead but was curious (maybe even hopeful) to see if it would get stronger.

Aizawa lets the mixture simmer and slices up some cabbage to have in the place of rice. The whole scene is oddly domestic and he can't help but chuckle at the thought. He looks down at the lily and reaches into the sink for it. Aizawa wipes the pot dry then carries it out to set in the middle of the coffee table. He wondered, how different the school year might have been if Toshinori had never come to UA. Not that he was one to pin the fault on another, but everything that had happened in not even four months was due to his presence.

He looks over to the man's bedroom door and brushes his fingers on the scar beneath his eye. No, this scar wasn't his fault. Those villains might have been there for All Might but it wasn't the hero that had been in danger that day. It was _his_ class that he'd protected and been scarred for. The fight, the pain of recovery, the nightmares. It had all been to keep his students safe. That wasn't Toshinori's fault, he thought as he looks to the man exiting his room, with his meds in hand.

Aizawa serves them each a plate and sets them onto the table. "Cabbage?" Toshi asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It's lighter than rice and needed to be eaten," he answers with a shrug.

Toshi takes an experimental bite as Aizawa reaches for his meds and opens them for him. The crunch of the cabbage is... different, but it's still good. It cools the curry down so he doesn't have to wait to eat. "This is good, Aizawa."

Their eyes meet as the dark-haired man sits down and small smile graces his face, causing Toshi to blush. "I'm sure you're just saying that since it's something different than what you've been eating for the last week."

"I mean it," he retorts and it's Aizawa's turn to blush.

"I moved the plant to the coffee table. I hope that's okay," he says without looking up.

Toshi turns to look at the lily sitting on the coffee table and smiles. "It's a perfect place," he whispers more to himself than Aizawa. It's out of direct sunlight and in the center of the room so when it's healthy it'll bloom beautifully.

When the two are done with dinner Aizawa cleans up and Toshi makes some tea, offering some to the to shorter man instead of his usual coffee. Thinking that it might do him some good to calm down a little, Aizawa accepts a cup.

"Toshinori," he sighs, after taking a sip. "We need to talk about what happened."

Toshi remembered that Aizawa had tried to speak with him earlier, before leaving the gym. He'd been quite excited about bringing home the lily and thinking about what actually happened that he's forgotten about Aizawa approaching him and leading him away. The grip on his arm and been firm, but gentle and his eyes had shown nothing but concern.

"I'm sorry about what happened today, Aizawa," he mutters and walks out to the living room.

Aizawa watches him as he sits down one side of the couch and stares at the lily. He was planning to talk about what occurred today, but _he_ wanted to apologize for the other night first. He was at a loss for words, his mind jumbled by the sudden apology. His tea in hand, he joins Toshinori on the opposite side end of the couch.

"I wanted to apologize too," he admits, brushing his scar.

"Oh," he says, not sure what he'd done to warrant such a thing from him though.

"The other night, when you woke up coughing, I've been thinking that I may have overstepped some boundaries," Aizawa explains.

It clicked for Toshi then. "I was surprised when you knocked, but you don't have to apologize for checking on me," he assures him. It was thoughtful that of Aizawa to consider his personal space, but Toshi knew that he had meant well that night.

Even with what he'd said. It was so hard to keep everything he'd been carrying for so long bottled up inside and while he still couldn't tell anyone his secrets, it didn't mean that he couldn't admit that he was struggling. "Did I really sound that bad?" he asks.

"Worse than most nights," Aizawa confesses easily. Most nights? Toshi was aware that the he had nightmares just about every night, but had Aizawa been listening in? "If you hadn't woken up yourself, I was planning on doing it myself."

"You were?" That feeling of helplessness was starting to creep up on him again. He was starting to sink. Just when he was starting to accept that he couldn't go through this crisis alone, he felt ashamed with himself.

"Toshinori?" The blond looks into Aizawa's eyes, focusing on them to ground himself in reality. "What's wrong?" Those tired eyes are full of worry.

Toshi tries to answer, but nothing comes out. Aizawa knows that he can't make the blond talk but he'd hoped that just maybe he'd be able to get through to the man. All he got was silence though. The dark-haired man sighs and gets up to leave. He only had so much patience and you couldn't help someone if they didn't want accept it.

He only takes a step when he feels a tug on his shirt. Aizawa hadn't sat down with him because he'd been asked to. He didn't have to help him with the lily and he didn't have to cook for him. The least Toshi could do was to try and accept the help that was being offered.

"I don't belong here, Aizawa."

"You mean at the school?" he questions, sitting down.

"Look at what happened today-"

"That was an accident," Aizawa snaps.

"But I wasn't paying attention!" Toshi booms, causing the smaller man flinch. "If I'd been paying attention to my surroundings, then I wouldn't have been in danger in the first place..." he sighs, deflated.

"You're the only one that thinks that, Toshinori," Aizawa responds, eyes narrowed. He stands back up and empties his cup, refilling it with the last of the coffee in the pot. "Why did you come here?" Toshi looks to the kitchen at Aizawa leaning against the counter. "It's none of my business so you don't have to answer me, but the next time you think that you don't belong here, ask yourself that," he offers.

He had been reminding himself everyday that he was here for his successor. Every damn day he was fighting to live for that boy. Toshi's eyes fall closed and he starts to sway. Damn medication. He was sick of the pills and the nightmares. Sick of being alone and this damn scar that he hated to look at. "I hate myself," he whispers, tears welling up.

Aizawa walks back over to the couch and catches the blond as he starts to fall forward. Toshi clutches onto the man's shirt and Aizawa let's him cry. It had been a bad idea to bring this up right after Toshinori had taken his medications. The smaller man pulls him to his feet and lets out a grunt when the blond stumbles and his full weight rests against him.

"Toshinori, hold yourself up because I'm not carrying you," Aizawa warns.

"Sorry," the taller man mumbles.

Aizawa helps him into his bed, making sure his arm is propped up. His eyes have already slipped closed and there are still tears dotting his eyelashes. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reaches out and brushes the blond's bangs from his face. He didn't know why he thought it would be a good idea to talk with Toshinori, in fact he didn't know why he was becoming so concerned with the man to begin with.

A sniffle from the blond stirs Aizawa from his thoughts and back to his sleeping face. He looks like he's in pain, his breathing is becoming labored and he's starting to whimper. Nightmares already. Aizawa's face softens and he leans down, kissing Toshinori's brow. He lets his lips linger until he relaxes.

When Toshinori's shallow sobs die down, Aizawa quietly leaves the room and makes for his phone on the coffee table. It rings only once before he hears Hizashi's voice on the other end.

"Hizashi, I'm coming with you."


End file.
